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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26665135">Diary Of A Lost Witch</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/G_U/pseuds/G_U'>G_U</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Angst, Baby Luz needs more love, Bonding, Bullying, Canon Divergence - Original Story, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Half for the win, Half-Human, Lumity slowburn, M/M, Magic Adventures, Magic Battle, Magic School, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Mystery, Other, Personal Growth, Romance, Self-Esteem, Self-Esteem Issues, Teen Romance, Willow and Skara are in a flirting terrritory, alternative universe, be gay do witchcraft, family love, injuries, semi-au, slowburn, teen drama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:00:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>262,558</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26665135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/G_U/pseuds/G_U</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz Noceda has never been the "normal" kind of girl for her age, and the world keeps on reminding her that.<br/>Now, after a short time living after moving, she became a run-away. Leaving her other to find a place she can call home.<br/>She finds herself in a dream-like-nightmare world that seemed to be waiting for her to come by. Armed with her mind, her secrets and with the help of Edalyn Clawthorne the infamous Criminal "The Owl Lady" and King "The King of Demons!" Luz must go through the Boiling isles while keeping her otherworldly persona hiding. All while she looks for the things she could never have in the human realm.<br/>Follow her and her newfound friends and family in Luz search for answers, love, and a place to belong!<br/>While a dark force moves in shadows, prepared to take away all she had just found.</p><p> </p><p>Mayor divergence from cannon starts on chapter 3. First two are world building. Cope with me ppl.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne &amp; Camilia Noceda, Eda Clawthorne &amp; Lilith Clawthorne Sisters, King &amp; Luz Noceda, Lumity - Relationship, Luz Noceda &amp; Owlbert, Luz Noceda &amp; Willow Park &amp; Gus Porter, Willow Park &amp; Skara, Willow Park/Skara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>450</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A lost Witch and Warden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>New canon divergence AU Out!<br/>I've been working this for a while, and I can tell you is going to be a while while I post this, but don't worry, I've made my mind up to follow through 'till the bittersweet end!<br/>So, few things, Not spoilers will be said in the comment's replies. I'll be answering most things besides that.<br/>Also, I'm gonna be marking the chapters with graphic descriptions of violence and blood and all that at the beginning, those won't be on all chapters and I'll be sure to always mark whenever a scene like those would be waiting, so... Please always read the top notes.<br/>Without further ado, enjoy!</p><p>The Owl House and their characters and World are all created by Dana Terrance and owned by Disney. This is merely a fan adaptation to a different line of storytelling.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b><em>"Sometimes, the universe might not be kind to us, but never doubt it will always be fair.”</em> </b>
</p><p>Luz was running for her life in the middle of the woods when it all happened.</p><p>Her mother had just got her into the stupid camp to be <em> normal </em> , her classmates had that stupid joke, her room was still just half-unpacked… and she was already being sent away, <em> again. </em></p><p>She wasn’t taking any of that, not anymore.</p><p>She stopped in the middle of a clearing, her breathing was a mess, and when she looked around her eyes landed in a pretty old, damaged house. Luz stood up straight and looked back at the path she just came from; the forest was dark already, the foliage thick and quite dense.</p><p>No one was coming after her, apparently.</p><p>She sighed, took her phone out, and turned it on; the lock-screen showed a picture of her with her mother, with Camila’s smile.</p><p>“You just keep at it, don’t you?” Luz said, gritting her teeth. “You just can’t accept it…”</p><p>Luz reached for her necklace. She almost cursed at the stupid silver pendant, tracing the birdlike lines with a finger before closing her fist and kneeling. She took a couple of deep breaths, then she looked at the sky. The night was getting closer, and she really didn’t want to have to move in the cold.</p><p>Luz walked up to the house, studying it from the outside, sighing at the idea of having to sleep in there, but she didn’t have many options at hand.</p><p>Suddenly, her phone rang.</p><p>She moved her hand to get the device from her pocket, and as she saw the caller’s I.D, her grip on it got tighter almost instantly.</p><p>“Camila…” Luz whispered, looking at the name before answering, “What do you want?”</p><p>“Mija, Please, hear me out. This is not what you think!”</p><p>Luz clenched her jaw at that. “Then what am I thinking? You seemed to have a better idea than me!!”</p><p>“Luz, please. This is for your own good…”</p><p>“No, it’s not!” she screamed. “Sending me away from you to a place where the only thing they’ll do is change me is not ‘<em> my own good!’ </em> It’s yours!” She snapped. “…It’s yours…”</p><p>“Mija, te amo, please, come back.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Camila,” Luz said, separating the phone from her ear, “but I can’t be like that anymore.” She cut the call and walked into the cottage. “I gotta find where I belong.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Waking up in the morning, eating canned food, and walking out of the cottage… Yeah, that was a normal morning alright. Luz might have found strange that waking up inside a ‘run-down’ cottage was the reassuring part of her day, and that being alone just gave more peace, but these things were all something she expected...</p><p>...so why was she on an island again?</p><p>“Just… que demonios?” she said, looking at the purple sea.</p><p>Luz turned back to the door she just walked through. Where the interior of the cottage she slept should’ve been, there was a pure white light, and she was sure that the markings on the door weren’t there the night before. She looked to the left, then right, a blue curtain received her.</p><p>“A… A dream, perhaps?”</p><p>“Come, come, come!!!” She heard a shout and dropped the part of the fabric that acted as a wall between her and the exterior.</p><p>She saw light outside of the—or she supposed it was—tent, and moved slowly to it.</p><p>There, she faced three impossible things.</p><p>For one, Luz stared in disbelief at the vast collection of mystical artifacts being dropped aside like they were meaningless. For two; a woman selling toys and trash merchandise from years ago while almost dancing <em> on heels. </em></p><p>And of course the great number three.</p><p>A <em> freaking </em>demon world!!!</p><p>“If I’m dreaming, I have a pretty nasty sense of humor…” Luz groaned, walking out the tent.</p><p>She walked up to what seemed to be a copy of the ‘holy grail’. The thing surely couldn’t do what the real one, but she guessed it could fetch some money back home. Her eyes then landed in the woman from before, her red-wine colored dress and heels along with her inhumanly white skin, and that mismatching green and white spotted rag—it was a rag, nobody could change her mind—on her head.</p><p>She was drawing in—and failing at it—the attention of the little people that passed in front of her stand, showing them an old portable TV.</p><p>“Come on, why wouldn’t you want a human shadowy box that reflects sadness?!” the woman screamed, “I’ll give it to you in a special deal!”</p><p>Luz stared and sighed, walking up to the woman- If it was a dream, she might as well roll with it, if not…</p><p><em>"I don’t have anything else, so I guess it’s OK," </em>she thought, reaching the woman who was sulking after failing the sell. “You know? That is not the only thing that box does.”</p><p>The woman <em> jumped </em>away from her and Luz laughed at her. The old lady stared at her for a few seconds, Luz looked down, her violet and white hoodie and waist-high jean shorts seemed all in order, maybe the leggings threw her off?</p><p>“Who are you?” The woman finally asked, moving closer to her, “Human?”</p><p>“Nice to meet you too,” Luz said smiling, “it’s rude to not say your name before asking others theirs.”</p><p>“It’s also rude to walk up to people from behind.”</p><p>“I was at your side,” she replied, “do you want to know what this ‘box of sadness’ can really do or not?”</p><p>The woman held her gaze for a few seconds before shrugging and gesturing for her to go on. Luz smiled and looked around the stand, taking a pair of batteries from a bowl with the sign ‘human candy’—that didn’t have <em> any </em> real candy <em> — </em>and placing them in the device.</p><p>Then, all she had to do was press the ‘ON’ bottom.</p><p>An old seventies video started playing and with that, the magic was done. The people from all the other stands started to give their money to the old lady while Luz moved to the side, smiling at the view for some reason.</p><p>“That was pretty clever,” the woman said, “for a human. What was your name again?”</p><p>“Still rude,” Luz sang the words, “is Luz, Luz No- ...just Luz.” She sighed, turning her head away, before looking at the woman from the rear of her eye, “and that is a weird thing for a human to say.”</p><p>The woman smirked at her. “Oh, I’m nothing like you, kiddo.” She took away the band of green fabric with white dots in her head, revealing a pair of pointy ears.</p><p>Luz gaped, getting her hand to her necklace, holding it like a lifeline. Her dream was getting meaner and meaner each second she looked at those.</p><p>“What…?”</p><p>“I’m Eda, the Owl Lady!!” the woman said, jumping on top of the table of the stand. “The most powerful witch on the boiling isles!”</p><p>“A witch?”</p><p>“I am respected, feared-!”</p><p>“Busted!!”</p><p>A hand came down on the T.V., smashing it to bits in a second, Luz moved back by instinct and got her hand to her bag. The man—she assumed it was a man by the voice—standing in front of Eda, was wearing a whole grey suit that had a black cloak with a white part of parchment; the piece of cloth that was too small for him. His hand and feet covered in black leather gloves and boots.</p><p>And was that a sword on his belt? Yeah, bad news, a good time to wake up!</p><p>“Eda, the Owl Lady; you are under arrest for misuse of magic, and demonic misdemeanors!” the guard said, showing a poster.</p><p>Those were a lot of zeros in Luz’s opinion.</p><p>“You are hereby ordered to come with me to the ‘Conformatorium’!”</p><p>The guard took Eda by the arm, but she freed herself with a slap to his hand.</p><p>“Let go of me, I haven’t done shump.”</p><p>The guard then turned to Luz, and moved to grab her, Luz moved and sided with Eda.</p><p>“You’re coming, too.” The guard said.</p><p>Luz gaped. “What? Why?”</p><p>“Fraternizing with a criminal.”</p><p>“What?! That’s not cool!!”</p><p>He moved to pull his sword out, and Luz took that opportunity to pinch herself really hard on the side.</p><p>It hurt her, but she didn’t wake up.</p><p><em>"Not... Not a dream?" </em>She thought, paralyzed.</p><p>That had to be a f-</p><p>“OK, OK, I’ll go, Just let me get my staff.” Eda said, and Luz panicked even more.</p><p>Even then, Luz had to ask. “Don’t you mean stuff?”</p><p>Eda smirked at her and got a wooden staff from below the table, and hit the guard in the face.</p><p>“Wha-?! Are you crazy?!” Luz screamed, and started to look in her bag. “Where is it?!”</p><p>She almost missed the view because of that. Eda hit the table with the base of her staff, and all the trash and things around floated in the air.</p><p>“Oh, right. Can’t forget ‘bout this?” Eda said, getting a key out of her hair, and pressing it like a button.</p><p>Luz heard a clock sound and watched a suitcase, with the same marking as the door she just came through, float with the rest of the things just to get wrapped up in the sheet Eda used as a mantle for the table.</p><p>“Come with me, human!” Eda said, taking her by the wrist and pulling her along.</p><p><em>"Definitely not a dream!" </em>Luz Looked around, the weirdness was <em>everywhere</em>. “I can’t die here! I’m too young and frustrated for that!!”</p><p>“Weird expression, but don’t you worry,” Eda said, smiling. “I won’t let you die. A human like you is worth more to me alive!”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>Eda then jumped, and her staff grew <em> wings </em>. “Yahoo!!”</p><p>Luz gaped, feeling the air hitting her in the face she hugged the staff and looked down, the ground getting farther and farther away by the second. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears rolling down her cheeks before they were almost in her ears.</p><p>Eda’s voice came over the wind with ease. “You can open your eyes now, human.”</p><p>Luz did as she was told, just to face a forest, <em> miles </em>under her feet and what she was pretty sure were ribs.</p><p>“What…? First, a red sea, then weird monsters, weird guards, flying staffs, you are a <em> witch… </em> ” Luz listed, getting a hand to her face, “just what is this place?” she groaned. "<em>Feels like New Orleans all over again…" </em>she thought.</p><p>“Welcome to the Boiling Isles,” Eda said, “every myth you humans have is caused by a little of our world leaking into yours.”</p><p><em>"Not so sure about that…" </em> Luz thought before a great winged lion-like dove monster flew beside them. “A griffin?!”</p><p>The beast then screamed, roared, letting spiders out its peak.</p><p>“I knew it, I knew they had that stupid breath!!” she screams.</p><p>Eda laughs behind her. “Yep, griffins, vampires, giraffes…”</p><p>“Wait, also giraffes?”</p><p>“Yeah, we banished those guys,” Eda said, landing and getting off the staff, “ a bunch of freaks.”</p><p>Luz got off the staff and looked back at it when a cracking sound startled her. She found Eda’s hand still holding the staff.</p><p>“I… I think you’re forgetting something,” she said pointing to the missing limb.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, that happens sometimes,” Eda said, getting her hand back and re-attaching it to her arm.</p><p>“Look… Eda, this is... not what I was looking for, and clearly I’m kinda out of place here so… could you help me get back home?”</p><p>“Oh, I’ll help you, human. Only if <em> you </em> help <em> me </em>first!” Eda then let out a laugh before moving past her, “now come along.”</p><p>Luz gaped and repressed a groan before turning after Eda, her rage subsiding at the sight that received her.</p><p>“Wow…”</p><p>There, standing on the ridge awaited a house, the construction was… eccentric, to say the least, with the front being like a common shack while at the back Luz saw a tower coming out of the ceiling and that weird eye-like window on the top almost looking at her from the second floor.</p><p>“Aren’t you worried about the guards coming here?” Luz asked when reaching Eda.</p><p>She just smiled and shrugged. “My house has one of the most efficient security systems that you can find.”</p><p>Luz hummed in response before looking at the door.</p><p>The thing winked at her.</p><p>“Password please!” it screeched and Eda hit it in the eyes, “Ouch!”</p><p>“We got no time for this Hooty, let us in,” Eda said.</p><p>“Alright, alright! Jeez! You never want to have any fun,” the door complained, “Ouch, Hoot…”</p><p>Luz saw—a bit grossed out, to be honest—the owl-face thing open its mouth until the entire door disappeared showing her the insides of the house. Eda walked in right away and Luz sighed, trailing after her.</p><p>Not like she had many options.</p><p>Once the door was… closed, Eda turned around and smiled. “Human, welcome to, ‘The Owl House’,” she said, snapping her fingers.</p><p>The entire place was given <em> life </em>with that act. Luz saw in amazement how some things started to move on their own; and how the candles burst to life without any help.</p><p>“Wow…”</p><p>Eda continued with her monologue. “Where I hide away from the pressures of modern life… also the cops, hump, and also ex-boyfriends, Ja!”</p><p>“This place is beautiful.” Luz spun around and faced Eda. “Do you live here all alone?”</p><p>As if answering her, Luz felt the ground shaking and looked around.</p><p>“Actually, I have a roommate,” Eda commented.</p><p>Luz moved her hand back to her bag and readied herself, looking at the door that seemed connected to the rest of the house.</p><p>“Who dares to intrude upon I?” came a powerful voice that made Luz shiver.</p><p>Just to then show her a little fur-ball with a skull-like head wrapped in towels and holding a rubber duck.</p><p>
  <em> A rubber duck!!! </em>
</p><p>“The King of demons!!” the little creature shouted, before squeezing the little rubber duck in his hand.</p><p>“Oh, por dios que lindo!!!” Luz screamed and rushed to get him—it was a ‘he’ apparently—in her arms, squeezing him. “Who is a wiggle guy? Is it you, is it you?”</p><p>“Ah, no, I don’t know who your wiggle guy is!!!” the little cute fur-ball shouted, “Eda, who is this monster?!”</p><p>“OK kid, that enough,” Eda said, separating Luz from the overly-perfect mass of fur. “King, this is Luz the human, she is here to help us with our little… situation.”</p><p>…Wait, what?”</p><p>“Oh; hooray!” King said and Luz almost lost it again.</p><p>But there were priorities, thankfully.</p><p>“Am I what now?” Luz asked, “I don’t like the sound of this ‘situation’ you are talking about.”</p><p>“Well, just let me explain, OK?” Eda asked.</p><p>She then proceeded to talk about how King was a mighty demon before and the betrayal that trapped him in his actual—mass of beauty and dreams—body. Luz was more interested in the spell she used for the storytelling though. The images floating inside the circle were… amazing, even if not actual motions, Luz took in the entire story.</p><p>“So… what do you need me for?” She asked once Eda had finished her little exposure.</p><p>“Weren’t you paying attention?” Eda asked, “I need a human to get King’s crown back from the safe!”</p><p>Oh, right.</p><p>“Listen, Miss. Eda I don’t think that that is a good…”</p><p>“Hey, sorry but you kinda don’t have any choice here,” the woman interrupted her, before taking King by the cheeks. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to help this cute face? How could you say no to him?”</p><p>“No, don’t encourage her!!” King begged.</p><p>Eda dropped him before sighing. “And… I’m your only chance of going home, so yeah, there’s that.”</p><p>Luz stared and sighed, considering all in all, she was trapped in a different world, with a wanted criminal and the cutest fur creature she had ever seen—out of the point Luz—without any way to go back home, except making that bad planned heist work.</p><p>“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Luz said.</p><p>“Nope.” Eda then proceeded to take her by the waist and charged her out like a sack of potatoes. “Now let’s go human we don’t have time to lose!”</p><p>Luz fought the grip, and looked at King, prepared to shout for help…</p><p>King took the rubber duck from the ground. “Soon Mr. Ducky, we’ll drink the fear of those who mocked us!!”</p><p>…OK, no asking for help there.</p><p>“Wait, where are we even going?!” Luz asked, giving up her resistance.</p><p>“To a super fun place!!” Eda answered her.</p><p><em>"Why do I feel like that’s not the case?" </em> Luz thought, slapping her forehead. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>“I should’ve known better…” Luz whispered, holding herself to the window frame. “This is not ‘a super fun place’ you lying witch!”</p><p>King hit her on the head. “Less complaining, more invading.”</p><p>Luz groaned and pushed up, finally entering the tower, her hood up and senses sharp—as any terrified person would—she took the first steps inside the prison.</p><p>“Ha, cats don’t do that!” King said.</p><p>Luz blew a nonexistent hair out of her face before looking at the rest of the place. “Wow…”</p><p>The prison was <em> worthy </em> of a fantasy novel.</p><p>The cells were constructed in an ascending spiral with a huge, and Luz meant a <em> huge </em>hole that went all the way back down to the floor. She took a sharp breath before turning. She just had to get out there after getting the crown, and it would all be over in a second.</p><p>Just that…</p><p>“Hey, cat-lady!”</p><p>Luz jumped and looked around, finding a… was she a vampire? With darker skin tone than death pale white?</p><p><em>"History books really were exclusive." </em>Luz thought.</p><p>“How did you get out of your cell?” the vampire-lady asked.</p><p>Luz let out a soft laugh. “Oh, no, I’m not a cat, see?” she removed her hood, showing her ears. “Also, I’m not a criminal.”</p><p>“Not yet, you aren’t,” King commented.</p><p>She wouldn’t thank him for that reminder.</p><p>“Neither are we,” the lady said, “the stupid warden just likes to lock people up because they don’t fit in. Like, I write fanfic of food falling in love!” She showed Luz a decent-sized book with a long story and even drawing. “I like food, I like love… Just let me write about it!”</p><p>Luz stared and felt a bit of a connection with this lady. She had also gotten in problems by writing fanfiction… of course; she did during class… and about her teacher.</p><p>Not the point right then and there though.</p><p>“I’m here because I like to eat my own eyes.” The demon from the next cell told her, and then proceeded to make a demonstration.</p><p>The fact that it came back to its place was a bit disturbing, but Luz didn’t really mind.</p><p>“Yeah, we are representatives of free expression!” A third voice said, “they’ll never silence us!!!”</p><p>Luz followed the noise and found a pretty small white… person? Demon?—she’ll just roll with ‘person’—with a huge nose.</p><p>The fanfiction prisoner—a lot less mean than, vampire lady in Luz’s opinion—sighed and Luz returned her eyes to her. “Yeah, she’s really enthusiastic about conspiracy theories.”</p><p>Luz heard them complain for a while, every time feeling more and more like them. Misunderstood, abandoned by the rest… alone.</p><p>Her hand went for her necklace and the cold metal touch returned her to reality. The sad, depressing one. That was that no matter where she went, people would always be separated from all the rest if they didn’t fall in line.</p><p><em>"Maybe I also deserve a cell…" </em> Luz thought, and the image of the stupid camp pamphlet flashed in her mind.</p><p>That was just what they tried.</p><p>“Wait a moment…” Luz groaned, letting go of the jewelry and pacing. “These aren’t crimes. None of you… none of us actually did anything <em>wrong </em>… we… we are just a bunch of weirdos…” Luz whispered, taking out the poster she got from before.</p><p>The Owl Lady, Edalyn Clawthorne.</p><p><em>"Like me… and like her…" </em> Luz thought.</p><p>There was a movement, and the ground shook.</p><p>“Warden Wrath!” the fanfiction lady said, “hide!!”</p><p>Luz looked around and entered a cell, lowering the bar so it would appear to be closed. She then took King and hid in the shadows.</p><p>“I can… hear you…” Came the voice, raspy, low, and powerful. “Just what are you fools whispering about?”</p><p>Luz saw the same boots from before, with the guard, but this man—monster? Yeah, more accurate—wore a full white vest with black pants under it. His arms were exposed and the dark-grey skin color just confirmed what Luz thought.</p><p>This guy was a monster, in more ways than one.</p><p>“Ah… The Owl Lady…” He said, taking the poster Luz just dropped.</p><p>His hand closed around the paper, ruining it. But it didn’t end there, with a movement his finger and his whole hand along with his wrist transformed into a mace, which he used to smash the bars in the cell Luz hid.</p><p><em>"This was a bad idea, a horrible idea!!" </em> Luz panicked, looking around for an escape route.</p><p>The warden then looked at Luz and King. “I’ll get my hands on her soon enough.”</p><p>“Fight against the oppressors!!” the tiny nose person said, “we will resist, we will conquer!”</p><p>Luz moved to the front against her better judgment. The little person then turned to face the warden and Luz stared at her.</p><p>“We will never be afraid of you, creepy old man!”</p><p>The warden then opened the cell and Luz shivered, scooting to the back. She didn’t want to see what was to come.</p><p>“Hooray! I’m free!”</p><p><em>"No, you are not, Tiny friend." </em> Luz thought and the muted scream was just barely high enough for her to hear it.</p><p>“Let this be a lesson to all of you,” the Warden said, waking away, “there is no place in society for you if you can’t fit in!”</p><p>Luz stayed put after those words. The sound, the tone, the meaning…</p><p>
  <em><strong> “There won’t be a place for you if you don’t fit in Mija!”</strong> </em>
</p><p>“Don’t joke with me…” Luz muttered under her breath.</p><p>She got out the cell—thanking any goddess or god that may be there for it not jamming after that punch from the warden—and walked to the lever next to the fanfiction prisoner cell.</p><p>“Don’t worry. I can get you out!” Luz said, holding the lever and pushing it up.</p><p>The stupid thing was <em> heavy! </em></p><p>“My weak nerd arms…” she sighed.</p><p>Maybe if she used…</p><p>“Just… Just get out of here while you still can kid,” the lady said, “enjoy freedom for us.”</p><p>Luz stared at her, then at the demons of the multiple eyes. Both of them smiled, but she knew that smile far too well. It was the hopeless one, the kind of broken one you used only for one thing.</p><p>To lie, lie to yourself.</p><p>She backed off. Looking away and closing her fist so tight that she might dig her nails on her palms and bleed.</p><p>“Come on human…” King said from her shoulder, and Luz could swear he sounded as devastated as she felt, “let’s move.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>The cells were far behind them and Luz now faced the last floor of the tower called ‘Conformatorium’. Eda had just checked in with them, telling Luz that the warden was busy <em> torturing a little creature </em>.</p><p>Poor Tiny…</p><p>“Is not fair,” Luz said, “just… why do people think being weird is so bad?”</p><p>Eda looked at her with a stern expression. “What?”</p><p>“Is not fair for any of them to be here,” Luz clarified, “they just want to be themselves, this is a demonic world where all magic comes from, isn’t it?” she asked, “then… then why can’t they just be themselves?”</p><p>Luz looked down; the necklace chain got her attention.</p><p><em>"Why can’t I be myself?" </em> She thought.</p><p>There was a metallic sound and King laughed hard, opening the door. Luz shook her head. As if she would get the answer so easily.</p><p>“Let’s go, before he hurts himself,” Eda said, pushing her along.</p><p>“It… may be a bit too late,” Luz said after hearing King’s little scream.</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>How could everything go so wrong in the span of thirty seconds?</p><p>She was just having a heart to heart chat with Eda and then, ‘swing’. The woman is without her head. King is hurt and she is flying through the cells, taking her chance to free the prisoners.</p><p>Stupidly cute King for saying she wasn’t a criminal yet. Well, now she was one.</p><p>Luz hit the ground of the exterior yard when a blast of rocks passed too close, <em> really too close!! </em></p><p>“What is his problem?!” Luz shouted, “I’ve met trolls that handle rejection better!!”</p><p>Eda laughed at her before standing, her head finally reattached to her neck. “That’s a good joke kid.”</p><p>“It wasn’t a joke,” Luz muttered, standing.</p><p>The warden rushed to them, Eda took the lead and intercepted him. Drawing light circles in the air, she deviated his attacks; dodging the ones she wasn’t fast enough to cast a defense for. Luz glared at the monster of the warden and got her hand inside her bag.</p><p>If she could just get her…</p><p>“Luz!!” Eda said, getting next to her. She thrust her hand inside her hair and placed a key in Luz’s hands. “go back to the human world.”</p><p>“What?!” Luz shouted, “but… but what about you guys?!”</p><p>King laughed next to her. “If you think this guy is bad, you should’ve seen her last ex-boyfriend!!”</p><p>“Not my boyfriend!!”</p><p>Luz looked at the key in her hand and then to Eda, who just had to make a full roll to avoid King being sliced. She couldn’t leave like that, she wouldn’t…</p><p>“Go, go!!!” Eda said, moving her to sit on the staff.</p><p>“No!! Eda wait. I…!!”</p><p>“Luz, you gotta go!!!” Eda said, placing a hand in her shoulder. “this isn’t your fight…” Eda said, “And Luz, thank you.”</p><p>Eda didn’t give her the time to complain or respond, sending her off with Owlbert.</p><p>Luz glanced back down, and she faced the scene of Eda barely holding her ground to the warden. She also caught the sight of the other prisoners. All of them stayed within the wall’s limits.</p><p>She then contemplated the key in her hand.</p><p>She could go home already; none of this was her problem as Eda had said. Nothing that concerned her; she just needed to fly away and it all will be forgotten…</p><p>And for what?</p><p><em> What good will doing that do to me? </em> Luz asked herself, looking back down.</p><p>It was suicidal, it was stupid and reckless, and she could pretty much regret it for the rest of her days.</p><p>And who was she kidding?</p><p>It was just the kind of thing she had always dreamed to do!!</p><p>“Hey, staff?” Luz talked, looking at the owl figure on top of it. “I know you are pretty much bonded to Eda, but… but if you could listen to my selfish request…” Luz took a deep breath, looking down. “I want to go back down… and save them all.”</p><p>There was no response whatsoever.</p><p>She considered all the possible causes and let out a small smile. “Please?”</p><p>That did the trick.</p><p>Luz was in free fall and stopped just about to hit the ground, facing the other prisoners.</p><p>“Why are you just standing there?” She asked. “This is your chance to escape!!”</p><p>“What for?” The multiple eyes demon said, “the warden will catch us again… he always does.”</p><p>The fanfiction writer talked next. “We belong here.”</p><p>“Insecurity is a prison you can’t escape from,” the tiny-body big-nose demon said.</p><p>“What? Don’t you see it?” Luz asked, getting down the staff, “you have a different way of doing things, a different way of seeing things, and yeah, that may make you weirdos, but it also makes you awesome!!!”</p><p>She stopped at that, her eyes going wide in realization, before she looked at Eda, her fight with the warden was starting to settle, her loss nearing.</p><p>And now Luz could see what she needed to do.</p><p>“Why are you helping us?” The fanfiction girl asked.</p><p>“Because…” Luz snickered and looked at her, getting her hood on. “Us weirdos have to stick together! And nobody should be punished for. Who. They. Are!!!” She shouted and got on the staff. “Now, let’s go get them!!”</p><p>All of them cheered and Luz charged against the warden, holding her necklace pendant with her free hand and smiling.</p><p><em>"I’m so stupid, really!" </em> She thought, screaming and passing by the side of the warden, letting the other prisoners fight him while she gained momentum. "<em>How come I didn’t see it before?" </em>Her mind was rushing with the same thought while she ripped the necklace from its place.</p><p>She felt the burning sensation and got her hand inside her bag. Getting out a long metallic bracelet; she smiled, placing it in her left forearm.</p><p>“I just have to be me!” She said and dived.</p><p>The warden was restrained on the ground and Luz landed between him and Eda. “Who do you think you are?!”</p><p>Luz smiled, remembering the words of her favorite book.</p><p>They fit quite well.</p><p>“Beware, warden Wrath! For, I am Luz…!”</p><p>She then took her hoodie off, and the gasps came like it was a setup.</p><p>“…The witch! And I am a warrior of peace!” Luz finished, spinning Eda’s staff. “Now, eat this sucker!”</p><p>She moved her left arm, the bracelet lighted up, showing different kinds of glyphs and colors: She went and direct her attention to an orange-red one, the form of a circle inside another with two lines that met on the edge of the biggest one making the limit of the circle shined harder than the rest.</p><p>Luz raised her hand and a circle of light appeared in front of it. She then used Eda’s staff and swung it like a baseball bat, hitting the circle.</p><p>And a giant fireball flew in direction to the warden.</p><p>The impact, followed closely by an explosion shook the whole place and Luz smiled while passing a hand through her hair. Luz turned and saw Eda charging King and gaping at her.</p><p>She couldn't help it, and pushed, crashing the woman and demon in a hug.</p><p>“Y…Y-You…” she heard and separated from the hug a little to face a pretty astonished Eda.</p><p>“I?” Luz asked, smirking.</p><p>“You are a witch? Why is your hair now... red-<em>ish...</em>? Also your ears…!” Eda stopped and moved to hold her by the shoulders, dropping King in the process, “wait…”</p><p>Eda moved her hand to Luz’s ears and touched them, Luz shifted under the touch but let her be.</p><p>Eda's surprised face became serious. “These aren't as pointy as they should…” she said.</p><p>“Yeah, about that thing of being human or a witch…” Luz said, taking a step back, “I guess I’m… neither? And both at the same time?”</p><p>Eda stared and her mouth fell.</p><p>“Are you…?”</p><p>Luz smiled. “Nice to meet you, Eda the Owl Lady… I’m Luz, a half-human witch. And I’m currently looking for my mother!” She then held Eda’s hands. “Hey, would you make me your apprentice?!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Witches Before Impossible!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz the half-witch has found the world of magic, and now needs to adapt herself to the life alongside with a Criminal Witch, a lazy demon. All while she faces the fact that maybe destiny is not the reason why she came to the isles at all.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second chapter!<br/>Hello, hello, hello readers! Thanks so much for reading the beginning of this story, I really hope you can enjoy it! Now, the adaptation of WBW was something that came more of a bonding matter than a constructive matter for Luz, so yeah, wait for a bit more of backstory, and bonding~~~<br/>Read ya at the end ppl, hope you like this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Life does not choose your destiny. Your destiny is inside of you, waiting for you to choose to follow it.”</em> </b>
</p><p>Luz opened her eyes that morning feeling like something just ran over her.</p><p>She also found a ceiling she wasn't sure she had ever seen before, and a little mass of heat at her feet. A moment after sitting up, the memories from the night before came rushing into her head and she took her phone, looking at her reflection on the black screen.</p><p>Reddish parts in her brown hair and slightly pointy ears, all with eyes with a red shine over the brown irises.</p><p>“Not a dream then…” Luz let out a soft laugh before standing up and walking to the window.</p><p>She faced the sea again, the color still not of her liking, but the sounds of birds, the strange tension on the air, and the shivering sensation she felt by being touched by the sunlight just felt… so <em> real. </em></p><p>She was kind of supercharged by it all. “Good morning, terrifying fantasy world!!”</p><p>She did not expect to be greeted back by a weird, nice version of an eldritch horror.</p><p>Shaking her head she moved back inside the room and took King from his place, hugging him.</p><p>“Good morning you little cutie pie!!” she said and kissed him all over the face.</p><p>King did try to fight her, to no avail. “I am not your cutie pie!!”</p><p>“Yes, you are!” Luz said, putting him down.</p><p>“…Ah. I know…”</p><p>She snickered at him, getting her clothes and changing before exiting the room. The corridor was devoid of any life except maybe by the house itself which was alive. Luz took a deep breath and walked up to the bathroom door, stopping in front of a painting on the wall.</p><p>“This is my kind of queen…” she whispered at the image of a woman in one fancy dress with a sword.</p><p>She went to the door this time. Pulling it open and just avoiding the escaping owls. Shaking her head she entered the bathroom and closed behind her, turning to find a pair of pure black eyes.</p><p>“Hi, Luz!”</p><p>“Ah!” She screamed and hit the thing.</p><p>“Ouch!” Hooty said, “I was just wishing you a good morning… Jeez.”</p><p>Luz moved closer to the window once it was gone. “Sorry, Hooty!!”</p><p>Moving to the mirror, Luz faced her reflection again. This time more neatly, she reached for her ears, the pointy end was not even long enough to be compared with Eda’s or any other witch she had seen so far, but it wasn’t round either. Her hair had that reddish color making it a strange type of really dark auburn. And her eyes had a little red glimmer now.</p><p>“I really did it, huh?” Luz whispered, touching her face, “well. Is the first day of the rest of your life girl, better go and start making it worth it!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</p><p>“Say that again please?”</p><p>Eda smiled and gave her the sack. “If you want a magic staff, you’ll have to work for it.”</p><p>Luz nodded slowly and looked down at the giant sack of—from what she just heard were—potions. Her eyes went back to Eda who was then sitting on a chair in the balcony.</p><p>“You do honest job…” she commented, getting the sack on her shoulder, “I thought you were a criminal.”</p><p>“A criminal? Yes. A mugger? Nope!” Eda said, “I like scamming, it keeps things interesting... though I do my fair share of pickpocketing.”</p><p>Luz snickered. “But of course.”</p><p>“I run multiple business kiddo,” Eda said, standing and guiding her through the house, “on weekends I sell human treasures that Owlbert gets from your world, but during the week I mostly sell the best homemade potions and elixirs you’ll ever find!”</p><p>Luz nodded and took a bottle out of the sack.</p><p>“Snake oil,” she read out loud.</p><p>“No one wants a snake without oiling.”</p><p>“Of course they don’t… here,” Luz responded, “where do I have to go now?”</p><p>Eda stopped and looked ahead out of a window; Luz followed her gaze to find a town, even at that distance she could tell that, apparently, it was just waking up. The streets still seemed—even from that far away—pretty empty.</p><p>“That’s Bonesborough.” Eda sighed. “You’ll have to deliver and sell my potions there, but be careful, I have rivals everywhere and they won’t doubt to do anything to take down my business-”</p><p>“And me with it; got it.” Luz started to walk towards the stairs. “I’ll see ya later then!”</p><p>“…You seemed… strangely used to this. And I still don’t know how comes you can do magic.”</p><p>Luz stopped and her grip on the bag became tighter. “…You could say I have a fair share of tasks on my story.”</p><p>“That still doesn’t answer the question, Kid,” Eda pressured, “you told me yesterday that you were a half-human witch, but you haven’t said anything else.”</p><p>“Maybe there is nothing to share,” Luz said, smiling back at Eda, “is just some stuff from the human realm anyways-”</p><p>“That’s the deal, is not just ‘some stuff’ for me,” Eda interrupted her, “you came in here by chance. Try to go home and then have a change of heart when you got the chance? There is more to this story.”</p><p>“And are you telling me all your life right away?” Luz snapped.</p><p>The silence that came after that was dreadful and incredibly thick. Luz sighed and shook her head, turning to face Eda.</p><p>“I… I’m sorry, really, I didn’t mean it to sound like that but…” Luz took a shaking breath, looking at the floor. “Is hard to… talk about it.”</p><p>Luz then felt a hand in her shoulder and looked up. Eda’s eyes were hard but at the same time, she didn’t feel like the woman was… judging her, as she had many times been in the exact same position.</p><p>“Is OK, I get it,” Eda said, “I know there are things we can’t share that easily… but I’ve been surviving on my own because I know all around me, so bear with me kiddo… this is not easy for me either.”</p><p>“Then why are you being so nice to me?”</p><p>Eda raised an eyebrow at her question and got her free hand to her chin. Luz watched her frown and grimace for a few seconds before she sighed.</p><p>“I guess is because you remind me of me,” Eda finally said.</p><p>“I… I do?”</p><p>Eda nodded and smiled at her. “Yeah, you have a mysterious backstory and your own way of doing things, so is obvious I’ll see some resemblance… granted, I’m more talented and wise…”</p><p>Luz couldn’t hold it and she laughed. Genuinely, like she hadn’t done in the last few weeks. Holding her stomach and almost dropping the sack full of bottles. She cleaned a tear from her eye and looked at the pretty astonished Eda.</p><p>“Just what happened to you, kid?”</p><p>Luz giggled and took a deep breath. “Nothing, nothing is just… It feels good, being with someone who gets it, I guess.”</p><p>Eda stared a bit more before snickering at her.</p><p>“I guess it does,” Eda conceded, “but enough of this <em> bonding, </em>is going to make me sick. You’re off kiddo!”</p><p>“I won’t disappoint you, Miss. Eda!” Luz said with a salute.</p><p>…And the bag with potions fell from her grip, smashing carelessly downstairs. Eda looked down to the first floor standing next to Luz. Then they heard the final smashing sound.</p><p>“I’m sure.” Eda sighed.</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Luz was almost jumping in her place while waiting for the giant worm person to finally give her space to walk. King beside her seemed more irritated than anything.</p><p>Bonesborough was more than she could have ever imagined. And was that a quinmerac butterfly?!</p><p>“Is rude to stare,” King said next to her.</p><p>Luz stopped and looked down at him. “Sorry, is just… I’ve only seen places like this in my dreams… and in some really old books,” she said, “none of those hold a candle to the real thing…”</p><p>“You are weird.” King sighed. “Can we just finish with this? I want to go home already.”</p><p>“We just came out, how is possible you have such a poor sense of adventure?!” Luz said, spinning, “hey, say. Am I the only human here?”</p><p>“Never seen others,” King answered, “and you are not precisely human, are you?”</p><p>Luz nodded. “I mean yeah, but that may be for a reason! Even if Eda said I came here by chance... Oh! What if I’m supposed to encounter my predestined task of greatness!!” she gasped, “just like Azura…”</p><p>“Who again?” King asked.</p><p>“Azura, my favorite character in my favorite book series <em> ever!! </em>” Luz responded, “I thought I told you about her last night.”</p><p>“I was probably asleep,” King said, “besides, did Azura’s quest involve delivering boiling cream?”</p><p>“Today I’m delivering packages, but tomorrow I’ll be gaining everyone’s respect here with my magic prominence!!” she said, showing her bracelet and getting the light glyph to shine, making a few light balls float around her.</p><p>She remembered reading about predestination and fortune-telling the old tomes in her house… and also all fantasy series. Maybe, just maybe… There was a quest for her in the Boiling Isles!</p><p>“Ha, good luck with that,” King said, breaking her moment, “the Boiling isles are not more than a hole full of despair.”</p><p>Luz scoffed and bent down to take the sack. “More like a hole full of <em> delight!” </em> She countered and looked around.</p><p>She found a Centaurus!!</p><p>“And I’m going to prove it to you!” She told King, walking up to the half horse half man.</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>She was wrong, pretty much wrong.</p><p>“I wasn’t expecting something like this,” Luz said, getting the goo from their last delivery out of her hair.</p><p>Why did a giant slime need humectation cream? She didn’t want to know.</p><p>“I have enough delight for one day if you ask me,” King said, his voice shaking a little.</p><p>Luz sighed and glared at him. “I thought being the only <em> almost </em>human here would make me special, but it seems like it only makes people scream at me or try to eat me, and they don't even know!”</p><p>She got her arm up and showed the quinmerac butterfly from before trying to dig its teeth in her elbow. She brushed it off with a movement of her arm.</p><p>“By now Azura would have been granted a magic quest,” She said, “where is <em> my </em>quest granting wizard?”</p><p>Sighing and hugging her legs. Luz got her book from the sack, flashing King the drawing of the scene in question, while he devoured his ‘not dog’,</p><p>He finished his food and shook his head. “Sorry to break it to you Luz, but nobody here is that well-dressed.”</p><p>“Today has been a pretty rough day,” Luz said, sighing and returning the book to the sack, “let’s just deliver the last package and go home.”</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>“This is a bad idea, and that guy is not to trust!”</p><p>“But he said he perceived something special in me!”</p><p>“And the door on door salesmen always say they have everything you need to be happy,” King countered, “is a scam, Luz!”</p><p>Luz on her part ignored him and continued looking at the map Adegast gave her. The thing was pretty old and messy, but she could make out just the right amount of information.</p><p>Just like all cryptic documents she had seen before, wizards liked to play with your head.</p><p>She got inside the Owl house and rushed to her room. Getting her things ready, she had her bracelet; and her side bag, she also got the sword Eda had downstairs, a toy or not, she could always make use of it.</p><p>“King, what kind of chosen one should I be?” Luz asked looking at the small demon, he was cuddling himself on top of her sleeping bag.</p><p>She wished she had taken a photo before asking.</p><p>“Ah? Now, what are you talking about?” King asked, looking at her.</p><p>“For my quest!” she said, “should I be full of optimism and goodness, like good witch Azura! Or should I be a bad girl chosen one, with a mysterious withdrawn attitude and black polish nail?” She then proceeded to make the book move like a mouth. “I act like I don’t care, but I secretly do.”</p><p>At that moment a huge blue hand came into view from the door, just for Eda to show right after, the arm cut off of the body it belonged before.</p><p>“Oh, are you talking about bad girls?” Eda asked with a smile before her frown took the place in her face. “Wait, what is happening?”</p><p>King stood up. “Eda, tell Luz how dumb wizards are!”</p><p>“Ugh, Wizards are the worst.” Eda immediately conceded. “Never trust a man with casual rag-wear. Why?”</p><p>“Your wizard client. Told Luz…” King started to laugh then. “That… that she was… she was a ‘chosen one’!”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait… Luz?!” Eda asked and then she cracked.</p><p>Luz stayed there, hiding behind her book, her face burning. The scene was all too familiar, all too painful to face.</p><p>Why was always like that when she opened? Why couldn’t they just take her seriously?!</p><p>“OK, OK… let me see this map,” Eda asked and Luz sighed, getting her book down and giving the scroll to the woman.</p><p>She stood up while Eda studied the thing. “You didn’t believe this was real, did you?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Luz, there is no celestial staff or celestial lake in the boiling isles,” Eda explained, “I would’ve stolen it ages ago!”</p><p>She hadn’t thought about that. Luz considered all the possibilities and had to face that Eda was right. In a place with the kind of creatures she had seen along the day, a wizard was the only one out of place.</p><p>That didn’t make it less heartbreaking.</p><p>“Kid, don’t get sad,” Eda said, giving the scroll back, “you are smarter than this; you’ll get the hang of it all in a few weeks.”</p><p>“Could I have some time alone?” Luz asked, looking away.</p><p>Eda seemingly shrugged and made a signal to King. A minute later Luz was alone in the room. She groaned and hit the wall, turning and leaning on it before sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.</p><p><em>"I’m a fool".</em> She thought. “Maybe they are right… this is not the kind of world I was expecting…” she whispered, looking at the map.</p><p>And she caught the sight of the shining letter on the superior corner.</p><p>“What…?”</p><p>She moved the scroll to the light a bit more, revealing the full message.</p><p>
  <em> “<strong>The path will be revealed only to the worthy” </strong></em>
</p><p><em>"Wow… that would explain why Eda couldn’t see it!"  </em>Luz thought, looking at the scroll. “If only the worthy can see it… then it must still be there!”</p><p>Luz stood up, feeling the energy returning to her body. She <em>was special </em>and she had a mission!!</p><p>“Wait…” she whispered, looking at the map again. “what… what if I’m not worthy…?”</p><p>Wouldn’t be the first time.</p><p>The wind blew, surprising her and getting the scroll out of her hands. It flew until landing next to her Azura book. The pages moved until it stopped at the very moment when Azura got her staff and was recognized as the savior of the ancient lands!</p><p>“That’s a signal, anybody would say it, right?” she asked to no one in particular before smiling. “I’m taking the signal, ‘sides, I’ll never know unless I try!!”</p><p>She moved and took the sword and the scroll, she also made sure her side bag was properly attached to her hips, and after checking her bracelet she fist-pumped the air. All in place, Luz got up the window and then down to the ground.</p><p>“Let the quest begin!!”</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Luz was suspicious when Nevareth took his shirt off.</p><p>No one was that ‘out of a book’ perfect.</p><p>Her mind kept running over the words ‘chosen one’ one time and another, and she just liked the ring it added to her name, so she rolled with it. But each second next those creatures just seemed…</p><p>Too good. And she was blaming Eda because of it.</p><p>Nevareth’s story was complex and deep, and he was sending signals to her; sure, she would have preferred a bit more of a cute guy instead of the hot one, but hey, she wasn’t complaining. But when beating the enemies who came as easy as just stating who she was… well…</p><p>Luz’s sense of adventure started to feel like a growing danger.</p><p>“Go on chosen one, the staff is yours, you earn it!”</p><p>Luz nodded with a smile at Nevareth, walking the path they indicated her.</p><p>She wanted to believe in the things they just said, she really did, but a bit of her mind kept kicking back, fighting the idea with such desperation that Luz felt torn apart. She raised her eyes to the sky, seeing perfectly white birds indicating her path.</p><p>It was beautiful… too beautiful.</p><p>She stopped in front of the lake, the staff in the middle of it, shinning too perfectly in its place. Luz watched how the path raised, how all the signs for her to just approach and take it, to get what <em> earned. </em></p><p>But she didn’t move.</p><p>“I… I didn’t do<em> anything </em>” She said, getting a hand to her face, “what are you doing Luz? You just walked into a town full of kittens and met this incredibly attractive guy, who just so happens to be into you, that’s what you did!”</p><p>Luz screamed and looked at the staff again.</p><p>“Eda’s one was less fancy but much more real…” she whispers and raises her right arm, “let’s just… make sure.”</p><p>Her bracelet lighted up and she concentrated in a soft green glowing glyph. The light became brighter and she placed her hand in a tree on her right. The reaction was almost immediate. One of the branches moved and grew larger and longer, advancing until it was right next to the staff.</p><p>“Now... I’ll know if this is real...” she said.</p><p>The branch moved again, that time holding the staff and getting out of its place. Luz’s smile grew wider at the sight of the object being solid and she attracted it. When the staff was over her head, she made the tree drop it.</p><p>“Yes! I knew it, I knew it!” She sang, dancing in her place, “take that you, in your face Eda, for you and your lack of wonder sense mixed with bad experiences!!”</p><p>She fist-pumped the air with the hand that held the staff, just for this said object to banish in a mass of ashes.</p><p>“A… farts!” she said.</p><p>No time for considerations or self-pity. Luz moved as fast as she could, getting rid of the ring and bracelets, and just in time too. The accessories turned into chains and handcuffs, she turned around, the plants and the grass dying at each passing second as a mist grew thicker and thicker alongside it.</p><p>“OK Luz, don’t panic…”</p><p>“Luz the witch apprentice,” a voice came from the growing mist.</p><p>She spun, wielding the sword and stopping just in time to avoid hitting the person in the neck.</p><p>She recognized the robe and the stars on it. “Magic wizard?”</p><p>“Your arrogance has betrayed you girl!!!” he screamed, his eyes rolling to the sides and his entire body separating from the ground.</p><p>Luz felt how something closed around her.</p><p>She had forgotten Nevareth's cape!</p><p><em>"Dumb it!!" </em> She thought, feeling how the fabric turned into something more resistant.</p><p>At that moment Luz saw the tentacles behind the stupid face of the—now—clearly fake wizard and repressed a scream. She had fallen like an idiot in the trap, all because she couldn’t just abandon the stupid idea of being chosen as someone special!</p><p>“Now that I have tricked you to come here, my plan is almost done!” the demon finally showed itself, smiling with putrid yellow teeth at her.</p><p>“Why are you doing this?” Luz asked, fidgeting with the stupid spell, before giving up and whispering. “Really, Luz? You got betrayed by accessories…?”</p><p>“Your mentor has been stealing customers from my potions business for years, she needs to be eliminated!!”</p><p>Luz rolled her eyes. “Does everybody here have a beat with Eda?!”</p><p>Receiving an immediate response from all the puppets the demon had did <em> not </em>make her feel better.</p><p>“And I must thank you since you lured her right into my trap!” Adegast—if that was its real name—continued. “All because you wanted to think you were special…”</p><p>Luz’s eyes went wide at that, and she felt like hitting herself.</p><p>She was not special, and the stupid demon was right about it.</p><p>Luz looked down and greeted her teeth. She knew she had been a fool, there had been signals all over the place. The town just happened to be perfectly nice but no one else but her went there or even talk about it, the super-hot prince that just so happened to like <em>her</em>, the princess of fairy that wasn’t a self-centered bitch or a really wise ruler but just a friendly girl, the stupid gnome Chris…</p><p>The fact that hey! She hadn’t fought any kind of ancient evil enemy!</p><p><em>"I was so stupid…" </em> She thought, sighing.</p><p>“Thank you, dumb human, for making this even easier!” Adegast said, “now I have a hostage to stop the 'Owl Lady'!”</p><p>Luz’s eyebrow twitched at that, she looked at Adegast for a solid minute.</p><p>And she laughed.</p><p>Adegast turned to look at her. “Wha…? What is wrong with you?”</p><p>“Nothing! Is just so funny!” Luz said, standing up, “you think you are smart.”</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>“Listen, you joke’s on you, for two reasons!” Luz said, smiling, “first, Eda is not stupid enough to fall in your trap!”</p><p>“Adegast!!” Luz heard and looked up to find Eda flying directly at them with King mounting the staff right behind her.</p><p>“Aw... hex!” Luz muttered.</p><p>Well… she was wrong about that. Eda was at least reckless enough to fall into the trap.</p><p>Adegast let out a powerful laugh before looking back at her. “…And two?”</p><p><em>"I’m not a hostage, you dumb skull…" </em> Luz thought letting her magic flow through the bracelet.</p><p>“Eda. Now I got you!!” Adegast screamed.</p><p>Luz saw Eda land and she was only able to think ‘wow’. If looks could kill, Adegast would have been already dead where it stood.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s right, you got me, now let Luz go!!” Eda ordered.</p><p><em>"What?"  </em>Luz thought, looking at the woman.</p><p>Eda went all the way out there, without knowing what she was getting into and now she was prepared to face this demon alone, for <em> her? </em></p><p>
  <em>"Woah…"</em>
</p><p>“Oh, she can go, if she wants to…” Adegast said, “but I sense something… I sense she wants some real fantasy!”</p><p>One of the puppets then sprayed some gas on Luz’s face; she coughed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was faced with endless darkness and her chains where gone.</p><p>She then felt them, the puppets walked up to be beside her.</p><p>“Stay with us Luz,” Nevareth said, “stay with Adegast, you can be <em> our </em>chosen one.”</p><p>The princess of the fairies was next. “You can eat our tiny food forever and ever…”</p><p>She stood up and looked down. “It is beautiful here…”</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em> Luz…! </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>“Lady Luz…” Nevareth said, holding her chin and making her look at him, “why would you want to live in a world where the people mocks you and laughs at you? A world where they don’t see how incredible you are?”</p><p>It was a good question, why would she want that?</p><p>She got to the boiling isles just because of that.</p><p>“You guys think I’m special, don’t you…” She said, “you think I belong…”</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em> Luz no…!! </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Luz closed her eyes and hugged herself. Why wouldn’t she want what Nevareth offered? Why should she just keep it up? She could stay, she could just leave the demon be, do as he wished…</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em> “I guess it’s because you remind me of me.” </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Luz’s eyes snapped open and she moved her right hand, her bracelet shining and the clear-blue glyph being brighter than the rest.</p><p>“This. Isn’t. Real!”</p><p>Her scream was closely followed by the ascendance of ice stakes from around her, the solid material pierced the puppets, and these puffed like some ball of flour. She glared at Adegast, Eda was gaping at her, resting in the ground, King beside her.</p><p>“What?!” the puppeteer said, “how is this possible?! You are just a witch apprentice!”</p><p>Luz gave a step, the blue glyph shined again and a new shard of ice flew, crushing other of the puppets into nothingness.</p><p>“No! Stay away!” Adegast ordered, sending more puppets in her direction.</p><p>Luz raised her right hand, the bracelet changed; the powerful blue light was now red. From her fingertips a light circle grew and then it transformed into a fireball that flew against the three incoming enemies, turning them to ash.</p><p>“Who are you?!” Adegast screamed.</p><p>Luz stopped and smile. “I am Luz, witch apprentice of Eda, the 'Owl Lady'!” she shouted raising both hands. “And I’m not a hostage, you big and slimy jerk!!”</p><p>Her bracelet changed from the burning red to bright shining orange. At the point of her fingers a huge light circle appeared and transformed into a giant mass of light, Luz dropped her hands and closed her eyes, the spell crashed directly on Adegast body, the demon screamed in pain.</p><p>When the light had dissipated Luz opened her eyes to find Eda and King staring at her, covered in what she assumed was a protective barrier. Smiling at them, Luz moved closer.</p><p>Before she could give even two steps though; her foot kicked something in their direction.</p><p>Luz followed the strange object until it reached Eda’s barrier, she gasped at recognizing it.</p><p>“Is… is that Adegast?” Luz asked, closing the distance.</p><p>Eda stood up and dispelled the barrier, taking the small octopus-like thing by its tentacles.</p><p>“It’s the reason why I won’t take anymore outside refers,” Eda joked.</p><p>And then she ate the thing.</p><p>She swallowed it whole before smiling at her. “I’m sorry, you wanted some of that?”</p><p>Luz smirked at her before sighing. “No… I’m just confused.”</p><p>“Thinking about calling it quits?”</p><p>“… I… I… It's just… this place is not like I imagine it, I guess.”</p><p>Eda moved beside her, and Luz saw her make a face, before she smiled, moving to get her staff.</p><p>“Maybe not here, but hey, come with me, I have something to show you, kid,” she said, mounting the thing.</p><p>Luz followed her with a small smile. King had already got on board.</p><p>“OK…”</p><p>“Oh, and put this on,” Eda said, throwing at her a piece of ragged fabric, “is going to be a surprise.”</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>She did not like the blindfold, but she rolled with it. The wind in her face and hair with the sensation of floating in the sky was enough to soothe her. Her arms were gripping Eda hard enough to compensate for any kind of turbulence.</p><p>“Okay, you can look,” Eda told her.</p><p>She moved slowly, taking away the fabric from her eyes she saw the reflection of sunlight in the water, then she saw the multiple colors of the forest and jungles.</p><p>And then she saw it all together with the mystical air it held; like it was meant for her to dive into it.</p><p>“Woah…” was the only thing that left her lips.</p><p>What could she say about such a view?</p><p>“The bones of the isles,” Eda said, closing her distance with her, “I know that up-close the isles can be slimy…”</p><p>“And very stinky,” King added.</p><p>Eda grimaced. “And gross…” she then looked up, and her face changed into a soft smile. “But if you look at it from a different perspective…”</p><p>Luz followed her gaze, finding the endless sky full of stars, a shooting star passing just at that moment. Adding the image a kind of magic she and seen many times in the past.</p><p>She was facing the universe; she was facing the fantasy…</p><p>“It’s beautiful…” Luz managed to say that time.</p><p>King scooped closer to her. “Yes it is…” he said, falling asleep.</p><p>Luz giggled at him looking back at the isles. The sight was terrifying and at the same time so astonishingly beautiful and breathtaking.</p><p>But her mind went back to Adegast, its plan, and how foolish she had been.</p><p>“Eda…” she said, “how did you know the wizard was lying?”</p><p>Eda’s eyes went wide at her question, and Luz watched closely how her face twisted from the incommodity to the renitent acceptance.</p><p>“Look kid, everyone wants to believe they are ‘special’,” she said, making the air quotes with her hands, “but if we waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we’ll die waiting.”</p><p>Luz stared at how Eda had said that. Just like… just like she had…</p><p>Eda shook her head and looked back at the isles. “That’s why you have to choose yourself.”</p><p>Luz gaped at Eda, and before she knew it, she was smiling. A bit of warmth spreading through her body at those words. She closed her eyes at the feeling.</p><p><em>"Just choose myself…" </em> She thought, opening her eyes and giggling. “Does that mean you are going to give me a magic staff of my own?”</p><p>Eda laughed at that. “Not now, but… someday,” she said, “and it may be soon if you have that raw power in you… how did you even do that kid?”</p><p>Luz cocked her head to the left. “Did what?”</p><p>“Don’t play dumb with me kid,” Eda said, “that was some crazy magic, how did you do it?”</p><p>Luz stared at Eda and then down to her bracelet. Now that she thought about it…</p><p>“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.</p><p>“What? You don’t?”</p><p>Luz shook her head, looking up to Eda. “I… I’ve been able to do magic since I was seven but… but never something so powerful.”</p><p>Eda frowned at that. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean that Eda, I… I never made anything like it…” Luz sighed, “If I could, so many things could’ve been different.”</p><p>Eda then placed a hand on her shoulder, making Luz look at her. “You can talk to me if you want Kiddo, I won’t promise I’ll be really wise about it, but at least I won’t mock you, not this time.”</p><p>Luz stared at Eda for what must have been minutes but felt like hours. She finally nodded and looked down, taking a deep breath, letting the air go out slowly. She fixated her eyes on the isles.</p><p>“I… I learned that I was different one night, my mom was out and I was alone in the house… I’ve always worn the necklace she gave me, never taking it off except when I was taking a bath…”</p><p>Luz closed her eyes; the memories were nice... but painful, <em> too painful. </em></p><p>“… That night I fell from the stairs and the necklace flew away, when I stood up, I saw my reflection…”</p><p>“And you were like this, weren’t you?” Eda asked.</p><p>Luz nodded.</p><p>“I was so freaked out, I mean, it was understandable, right? To suddenly see someone in the mirror that kinda looks like you but is different…”</p><p>She was shivering, she needed to calm down.</p><p>“I waited for mom, and she was terrified! She asked me if the neighbors had seen me and when I told her no, she relaxed…” Luz stopped, taking deep breaths, Eda pathed her back. “She then told me… something, that I didn’t quite understand.”</p><p>Luz moved her hand to her side bag, taking out something, an instant photo, giving it to Eda.</p><p>“Mom, the year I was born... She was on vacation from college…” Luz began, “she said she was in a little town taking a rest, and then she just… Banished, nothing, zero, nada!” Luz sighed and looked at Eda, “My grandparents looked for her for three months before they finally found her.”</p><p>“Woah, creepy,” Eda said, eying the photo, “and this is?”</p><p>Luz smiled, an empty smile, not a happy one, but a completely devoid of emotion one.</p><p>“That’s actually the only thing my mom kept from those three months besides me.”</p><p>Eda jaw fell at those words. “What?”</p><p>“My mom… didn’t, <em> doesn’t </em>remembers anything from those three months. She went to all kinds of doctors and started to study medicine herself to try to understand what happened, but no one have had any luck about it.” Luz then pointed to the picture. “When my grandparents found her on the outskirts of a small forest close home, that was the only thing she had except for the clothes she was wearing and… well… me, inside her.”</p><p>Eda stayed silent for a minute before she cleared her throat. “So that’s why you said you were looking for your mother? Because of that story?”</p><p>Luz nodded. “My mom is not really into guys, and with how I came out being magical and all…”</p><p>“You just went with it,” Eda said, nodding, “I can see where it comes…”</p><p>Luz looked at the picture. It was a weird image, there were some parts in colors but others were just different shades of grey, and also, there was something like silhouettes of people on it, but not people, or shadows.</p><p>“Why is the picture special anyway?” Eda asked, “it seems just like a strange photo if you ask me.”</p><p>Luz nodded and sighed. “You see the date on the reverse?”</p><p>“Yeah, what ‘bout it?”</p><p>“Is the day my mom supposedly knew she was pregnant.”</p><p>“Oh, I… what?!”</p><p>“Just that,” Luz shrugged, “apparently she went to the hospital, <em> alone </em> and asked to see a doctor, the man was already old when my mom went and when they went to ask him after flinging her, the guy just had started his retirement in another country and no one knew how to reach him.”</p><p>“While this is incredible… I feel like is not the point,” Eda said.</p><p>Luz let out a small, raspy and dry laugh. “Yeah, is… is not.”</p><p>Luz played with her bracelet for a minute; she then looked at the sky.</p><p>“After that night mom told me I was… different. That my other parent wasn’t around and that I needed to keep my necklace on me at all times, didn’t matter where I went, or who I was with…”</p><p>Memories of school years and missed pool parties and possible friends flashed in Luz’s mind, she closed her eyes with all the strength she could muster.</p><p>“… I never, fit, with the other kids,” Luz said then, “if this secret wasn’t big enough, I just so happened to have one of the weirdest personalities of all…” she hugged herself. “I wasn’t like anyone else so… I was alone.”</p><p>“Kid…”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” she rushed to say, “it wasn’t all that bad, yeah, sure, mom and I had to move a lot every time I made a little slip but… but it was OK,” she looked down. “Anyway… we were in this little town, I was trying so hard to make friends, and I just learned how to draw… I started with simple things, then faces and… and then I tried with the necklace I had…”</p><p>Luz reached inside the small bag again. She showed Eda the silver chain and the pendant with a weird form, the witch studied it closely.</p><p>“I did the rough sketch first…” Luz said, “and then I just tap it, I was proud… but then I felt like something was… pulled out me, something flowed out my body and then…”</p><p>Luz raised her left arm showing Eda the different glyphs shining on her bracelet, she concentrated on the orange one, the same form as the necklace. Luz then moved her hand, the palm pointing upwards, a small light circle appeared and then…</p><p>There was light.</p><p>“The paper just ate itself up and ‘puff’ I had a light ball…” Luz said, closing her fist and dispelling the thing.</p><p>“That way you learned you could do magic.”</p><p>“Yeah… I started with a notebook, then I moved to cards…” Luz explained, “I found some old, really old books about magic in a library when we moved to a big city… there I found the ice glyph in a picture…”</p><p>“In a picture? Not in a text?” Eda asked, returning the photo to her.</p><p>“No, I just… saw the glyphs in some things, weird things.” Luz smiled, showing Eda the glyphs. “I saw the fire one in an old torch during a school trip, I saw the plant one in a tree where older kids went to kiss… that’s as far as I go right now though.”</p><p>Eda laughed a little. “You say it like is something simple kiddo.”</p><p>“It… It wasn’t really much.”</p><p>“Kid,” Eda said, and her tone told Luz that she wasn’t joking at all, “you just admitted that you learned wild magic, <em> on your own! </em> Even I had a bit of a problem with it.”</p><p>“Wait, really?”</p><p>“Yeah!! I had to study like crazy to control my best spells!” Eda sighed and looked away. “And now you tell me that you found four spells without looking, that’s some crazy talent!”</p><p>Luz looked away, suddenly feeling how her face burned. She also felt lighter inside, like something…</p><p>“Kid, you are talented beyond doubt,” Eda said, returning her to reality, “and I don’t know what could’ve happened to you, or what happened to your mom, but I’m sure of something.”</p><p>“Yeah? That would be surprising in my life,” Luz responded, “no one ever had a straight answer for me.”</p><p>“…Now don’t make me feel bad.” Eda groaned. “Is not the answer you want, but maybe something you’ll like to hear?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>Eda nodded. “This thing, the ‘glyph’ did you call it? Is from here.”</p><p>Luz perked up at that. “What?”</p><p>“What you just heard! This glyph is part of the boiling isles,” Eda said, “I recognize it from one of my wild magic scrolls.”</p><p>“Really?!” Luz moved and almost fell from the staff.</p><p>“Careful now! We just escaped death kid,” Eda said.</p><p>“You really know that the glyphs are from here?!”</p><p>Eda nodded slowly at her.</p><p>“That’s just incredible Eda!!!” Luz shouted, “I mean, I had my suspects when I saw your ears and your magic, but this… this just confirms it all!”</p><p>“Hey, hey, relax kiddo or you’ll drop King!” Eda said, holding her still, “what does this confirm again?”</p><p>Luz laughed and hugged Eda at that moment.</p><p>“Ugh, why do you keep doing this?!”</p><p>“Eda!” Luz said, tightening her grip, “this means that my other parent is here…” she whispered, “my family is somewhere here, on the isles!”</p><p>She let go of Eda and moved standing on the staff while holding herself to the witch and keeping King in balance with her leg.</p><p>“And I’m going to find them!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>OK!<br/>So, backstory for Luz exposed! A bit more of a connection with Eda than what we got from the actual show, just because I'm a sucked for this kind of moment, tbh.<br/>Remember you can leave all your comments about questions, pointing out my mistakes if you found them, theories, or whatever, I'll reply to all I can, without spoiling. Please, if you can, help be a better writer so you can have better stories (even if it's just one from me) coming from me!<br/>Next chapter is going to take a major deviation from canon, so be prepared for that too!<br/>Thank you for reading, I'll see you next week!<br/>G.U out, place~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. I Cheated (In Class) With a Teenager Abomination</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz's adventure continues as she finds herself against Eda and her teachings, during her fight, Luz met the teen witch Willow and is draw to Hexside: School of magic and demonics.<br/>What awaits for Luz in the home to great witches and demons from where Eda came out?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Saturday, new chapter!<br/>Today we go away from the original plot points and development and we also get introductions to incredibly important characters! SO yeah, pretty much a big deal to me!<br/>There is not much to say t the beginning because of spoilers, but I'll be at the end with my personal notes. Hope you like what I did here!<br/>See ya at the end!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>The only times when we are allowed to change who we are; are those when the reason will remain the same even if we do.</em> </b>
</p><p>“Can’t we do something more… magical?!”</p><p>“We are working here kiddo!!”</p><p>“Picking up trash from a corpse is not work!!”</p><p>Eda laughed at her, continuing with her task, Luz just sat next to King on the sand, staring ahead.</p><p>That was not what she expected when Eda said ‘field trip’ that morning.</p><p>Luz looked at the woman, trying to connect this scavenger to the same person that just saved her from a most certain death situation just a few days ago—because Eda had saved her, doesn’t matter that Luz was the one who blasted Adegast—in a mystic plane separated from reality and it’s perks and cons.</p><p>“Can’t we do something more… magical for my training today?” Luz asked, “like, I don’t know, reading ancient scrolls, taming dangerous beasts, mixing potions…”</p><p>“Ah, that sounds like a bunch of magic school stuff,” Eda responded, throwing a used toothbrush at her.</p><p>“Magic school? Wait, so, you really have one of those?” Luz asked, running at her and holding Eda by the—not slimy, definitely not slimy!!—hand. “Like, with gliding towers, cute uniforms and dark plots that threaten your life?! That kind of magic school?!!”</p><p>Eda nodded and moved away from her. “Muhm, but worst, they force you to learn magic ‘the proper way’. There is no proper way!” Eda said, raising both hands. “The magic isn’t proper, is <em> wild </em> and <em> unpredictable</em>, and that’s what makes it so <em> beautiful!” </em></p><p><em>"Ah… Eda has a point there."  </em>Luz thought, smiling a bit.</p><p>“I didn’t finish school, and look at me!” Eda continued, “who wouldn’t envy where I am right now?”</p><p><em>"Standing in a little sea of trash next to a corpse on the beach?" </em> Luz twisted her mouth and squeezed her eyes, “Yeah, who wouldn’t…?”</p><p>Her tone must have triggered something on Eda. the witch sighed and looked away. Moving closer to Luz.</p><p>“Ah, hey, here’s a lesson!”</p><p>Luz would’ve been <em>really </em>happy if she could forget the next ten seconds of that day; when Eda took her hand and got it inside a pool of mucus until she got something <em>solid </em>out of it.</p><p>“A witch needs to be resourceful, capable of using anything around her to solve her problems,” Eda explained.</p><p>“Can’t you just teach me another spell? Or something magical?” Luz asked, fighting the gag reflex, “instead of fishing slime balls?”</p><p>Eda’s expression became a bit dark at her words, her hand going to the gem in her chest. Luz watched it all closely, feeling like she had just stepped on a mine.</p><p>“Luz, I want you to remember something,” Eda said, standing straight and turning back to the giant death, slug, “not everything can be solved with magic.”</p><p>The tone Eda had used left in clear for Luz that it was not a suggestion, and that she couldn’t object to it.</p><p><em>"But why? You have a lot of power, don’t you? "</em>Luz thought, smashing the slime ball.</p><p>She needed to change the topic.</p><p>“Could we see this school?” Luz asked Eda, “I always wanted to see one, in the human realm they have these places that imitated them, but I would <em> love </em>seeing the real deal!”</p><p>“No Kiddo, I’m not going there, and you shouldn’t either!” Eda said, “those snobs are going to try to get into your head! ‘Sides, those crazy people wouldn’t let ya in any way.”</p><p>“They wouldn’t?”</p><p>“No, they’re too much in love with the stupid rules. The only time you can get in is during the school tours, and you have to be a <em> baby </em>for that.”</p><p>“But you were a student, couldn’t you get me a pass or something…?”</p><p>“I said no, Luz, and that’s final!” Eda snapped, “you are better off without them.”</p><p>Luz glared at her. “Well, I bet they would at least try to teach me something!”</p><p>“What was that?” Eda stopped her work to look at her. “Care to repeat?”</p><p>“They would at least try to teach me something! All you do is push work on me! I’m lucky to have the books in the owl house. Because apart from those, I’m at the same spot I was when I got here!!”</p><p>“You think learning magic is easy? That you’ll get one class and master it?!”</p><p>“No!!!” She screamed and Eda backed off. “That’s why I’m desperate for you to teach me <em>anything! </em>How am I supposed to find my parent out there if I’m still the same kid that I was on my first day here?!!”</p><p>Eda didn’t have a response for that, apparently.</p><p>“Look, I’m sorry… just... sorry…” Luz said, raising her hands in surrender. “I’ll just go back home and watch pictures of animals that are still <em> alive, </em>I’ll see you guys later.”</p><p>Eda didn’t say anything to her, and Luz sighed, looking down at her hands, the smashed lime ball was sticking to her palm. She groaned a little, cleaning her hand against a tree and finding a small black ball inside the mucus and goo.</p><p>“What…? Ugh, better think about this later…” She whispered, saving the small thing in her pocket.</p><p>She needed to think.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Ten minutes of walking in the forest only helped her to go over the conversation with Eda like a thousand times, and she wasn’t feeling better about it.</p><p>“Being resourceful, being resourceful,” Luz muttered, “I <em> am resourceful! </em> I got my only four spells from nothing!!”</p><p>She let out a scream, blasting fire in direction of a huge rock and sighing before dropping next to a bush. Luz stared at the scorching mark before looking down at her bracelet, the thing had gotten brighter since the last time she used it.</p><p>“If Eda could just help me understand this better… or actually teach me something new…” she sighed. “If her magic lessons are going to be about scavenging corpses, maybe I don’t have the stomach for it.”</p><p>“You can do it, you can!”</p><p>Luz’s ears perked up at that. “Mysterious voices of encouragement?”</p><p>She stood up and moved to the next bush, pushing aside the leaves and branches, she saw a girl in magenta leggings and sleeves, the hood and vest being black and grey; Luz saw her stand up and continuing her pep-talk while pacing.</p><p>Luz smiled. “Nope, just a little witch girl,” she said, getting out of the bushes. <em> Maybe she can help me get some useful information! </em></p><p>Her thoughts were cut short—sadly enough—when she tripped over a root and rolled down the little hill she was standing on, landing a few centimeters from the witch’s feet.</p><p><em>"Way to make a first impression Luz…"  </em>She thought, feeling the blush creep up to her cheeks. “Hey…”</p><p>The girl laughed at her. But strangely enough, Luz didn’t feel like she should be eaten by the earth and spit in a volcano. No, she felt good by making this nice-looking girl laugh after seeing her pacing and being just mad.</p><p>“I’m, so sorry for laughing,” the girl said, offering her a hand. “Are you OK?”</p><p>Luz smiled and accepted the help. “Yeah, nothing serious, some stones just went through a few layers of skin.”</p><p>“I’m glad.”</p><p>Dusting herself, Luz turned to the girl. “Anyway, I’m Luz! Thanks for worrying about me.”</p><p>“That’s a weird thing to say,” the girl smiled at her. “I’m willow… thou my dads said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”</p><p>“I’m not a ‘stranger’ I’m Luz, you already got my name, didn’t ya?” she joked.</p><p>“I guess you have a point there…”</p><p>Luz nodded enthusiastically before looking at the huge cauldron and multiple books resting near a stone.</p><p>“Are you perhaps going to school?” Luz asked.</p><p>“Uh? Yeah, aren’t you?” Willow responded, finally looking at her from head to toe, “you are from Glandus?!”</p><p>“Am I what now?” Luz asked.</p><p>Sadly enough Willow was already away from her, her eyes sharp and her entire demeanor had switched to hostility.</p><p>“I should’ve suspected that you wanted something from me. Glandus!”</p><p>“I don’t know what a Galdus is!!!”</p><p>“You won’t fool me!!”</p><p>Luz had to dive right there; as an impressive vine with thorns went straight for her head. Luz rolled on the ground a few meters before standing again, a new attack already about to hit her and forcing her to bend backward.</p><p>A thorn almost hit her on the nose.</p><p>“I’m not from whatever cult you are talking about!!” Luz shouted, “I just got here like a week ago!!”</p><p>“Stop trying to lie and let me crush you!!”</p><p>“Nobody would do that!!!”</p><p>Luz dropped under the next vine and groaned, letting her magic get to the bracelet, she placed her right hand on the ground, the ice glyph shining stronger. She heard Willow’s little shout just at the right moment, the plants stopping seconds later.</p><p>“Finally…”</p><p>Standing up Luz watched Willow fight against the little trap she had used. All but her head was trapped inside a block of ice. The dark-green haired girl glared at her.</p><p>“Release me you…!”</p><p>“I’m going to burn your eyebrows if you say that stupid name one more time!” Luz threatened, stopping Willow. “Now, for the last time, I’m, not, from, that, stupid, place, or cult!!!”</p><p>Her scream made an echo, and it seemed to finally get through Willow’s head, as she stared at Luz without saying anything.</p><p>“You… You aren’t?”</p><p>Luz sighed and massaged her eyes. “No, I don’t even know what that is.”</p><p>“But you are wearing their colors…” Willow pointed out.</p><p>Luz looked at her before looking down; her hoodie was now covered in dirt and leaves. With a sigh she moved her hand, the fire glyph shined stronger in her bracelet and a torrent of flames hit the ice, starting to melt it.</p><p>“I’ve had this thing since years ago, never knew it had the colors of a cult.”</p><p>“Glandus is a school,” Willow said once she was free, “not a cult… I guess you really are not part of them if you keep saying that.”</p><p>“What? are they super sensitive about their school spirit or something?”</p><p>“Yes.” Willow cleaned herself up and looked at Luz sheepishly. “I… I’m sorry, for, attacking you and all that.”</p><p>“No prob, thou I would like you not to do it.” Luz looked back at her hoodie. “I think this is ruined…”</p><p>“Oh my titan, I’m so sorry!”</p><p>Luz shrugged and smiled at Willow. “Told ya don’t worry! I have more, but you really seem to hate this glan-whatever, is that bad the relationship between schools around here?”</p><p>“You talk like you have never been around.” Willow pointed out.</p><p>“Oh, I wasn’t,” Luz said, “I was in the human realm until a few weeks ago.”</p><p>“In the human realm?!” Willow asked, her eyes shining, “I can’t believe it! How did you hide? Did they find you and you had to come back? Is true that there is rain that doesn’t hurt there?”</p><p>Luz stared and nodded. “I had a disguise spell almost all the time, no they didn’t find out about it, and yeah, the rain there is harmless… wait, does that mean that rain here is dangerous?!”</p><p>Willow did not respond to that question. “This is amazing!! How did you go there? How did you get here? What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Wow, too many questions, one per time!” Luz pleaded and raised both hands.</p><p>At that moment she heard a bell—an ancient one—and the energy completely left Willow’s body.</p><p>“I’m… I’m sorry, I have to go to class,” Willow said, “and disappoint my teacher.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Luz asked, “you plant magic is amazing, I’ve never seen such an amazing control… not that I’ve seen much really…”</p><p>“Thanks but I’m not even supposed to be doing plant magic,” Willow said, looking away, “my parents put me in the abomination track on school…”</p><p>“Wait, like, magic school?!” Luz said, finally registering all.</p><p>She just asked her about school a while back, and she didn’t think about magic?! Shame on her!!</p><p>Willow nodded, and Luz screamed.</p><p>“That’s so cool!!!” Luz said, “and I’m <em> so </em>jealous! I mean, I have a teacher but her lessons are a bit… untraditional.” She sighed. “I bet she wouldn’t let me enroll… I wish I could be for one day there…”</p><p>“Well, I wish I could get a passing grade for once,” Willow commented, looking at her cauldron. “Maybe then, people would stop calling me Half-a-witch Willow.”</p><p>“What is wrong with halves?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>What is wrong with halves?” Luz repeated, “I’m a half, and I’m OK with it.”</p><p>Willow stared at her; then she moved closer. Her eyes went wide at the sight of her ears.</p><p>“Wha… What?”</p><p>Luz reached for her own ear and smiled. “I’m a half-human witch.”</p><p>Luz had seen people react badly at things, old movies did pretty much the right thing. Willow paled, she then opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, her eyes darted from one place in the space to another…</p><p>And then she fainted.</p><p>“Really?” Luz asked out loud and moved closer to Willow, holding her head. “You are going to be late.”</p><p>With a sigh, Luz held Willow by the armpits and pulled. After two minutes of pain and effort, she had managed to get her next to the cart and books. Willow moved in her sleep but didn’t wake up, and Luz sighed, crossing her arms.</p><p>This was her fault, right?</p><p>“What am I going to do?” She sighed looking around.</p><p>Her eyes landed in the cauldron and she stopped worrying about the unconscious witch when a sound came from inside it. Preparing her fire spell, Luz walked closer to the thing, taking away the top of it, Luz faced a purple soup.</p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>Her eyes moved to the books, the titles completely wired looking, but she could read them, thankfully.</p><p>“So, ‘Abominations 101’, then?” Luz read, taking the book and opening it. “Your abomination starts with the right ingredients and the right amount of sweat you put into it… that sounds pretty encouraging!”</p><p>She then saw the measures for the sweat on the next page.</p><p>“…Maybe not so much,” She sighed, looking at the mass in Willows cauldron and then to the books, “this doesn’t seem right…”</p><p>Taking the other books and looking at the few things Willow had left in the cart, Luz started to mix the abomination again. She added a few nails, took out an eye, and even sweated a bit into the thing, getting a better consistency at the end of five minutes.</p><p>Placing down the book and returning the top to its place, Luz smiled. “That should do it…”</p><p>“Wha…What?”</p><p>Luz turned to face a pretty stunned Willow. The witch fixed her glasses and looked at her. Luz smiled and bent down, placing her elbows on her knees and cupping her face with her hands.</p><p>“Hey there, sleepyhead.”</p><p>Willow’s eyes went wide and she gapped. “You… You…”</p><p>“Please, don’t faint on me again, you are running late for school and I don’t think I can get you there on my own.” Luz interrupted her and stood up, offering her a hand. “Any questions you have you can ask them on the way there, OK?”</p><p>Willow did take her hand after a few seconds and got up. While that made Luz happy, the tension between them was too thick, and she sighed when they started moving.</p><p><em>"Should I’ve kept my mouth shut?" </em> Luz wondered, looking at the sky.</p><p>“So…” Willow finally talked. “You are half-human?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“And you just… said it.”</p><p>“Is not like I keep it a secret.”</p><p>“And you are not worried?”</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>Willow shook her head and looked ahead. “Is… weird, to see a witch hybrid these days…”</p><p>“I was in town, you have a lot of ‘mixes’ if you ask me.” Luz scoffed. “I don’t get why I am different.”</p><p>Willow stopped there and giggled a bit. “I guess you are right… Maybe I was just a bit shocked.”</p><p>“A bit?”</p><p>“A lot,” Willow said, “Is just… even hearing about humans is kinda weird here in the isles.”</p><p>“Really, because my teacher just so happened to sell a lot of human ‘treasures’ in a stand on weekends,” Luz commented.</p><p>“Human curiosities are all over the place, but actual humans… let’s just say that those are a bit harder to find,” Willow said, “even more to connect, and now you say that you are half-human, that is going to shock anyone.”</p><p>“So, you think I should keep it a secret?”</p><p>“I would if I was in your place.” Willow shrugged. “There are people around that won’t take it as well as me.”</p><p>“You took it ‘well’? I don’t want to know what is ‘bad’,” she joked and they both laughed. “But, you really think I <em> could </em> hide it? I mean; my ears…”</p><p>“I think you’ll be fine, I didn’t make the connection until you told me about it,” Willow pointed out, “as long you just keep it to your close friends, I think you’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Is a good thing that you already know then,” Luz said, getting her hands behind her head, “wouldn’t want my first friend to not be able to see me eye to eye.”</p><p>“A… A-Are we friends?”</p><p>Luz stopped walking and looked at Willow. “But of course!! We share a dangerous secret, had a fight and at least one of us saw the other asleep. By the laws of fanfiction, we are hereby friends to the end of time!!!”</p><p>Willow cracked and laughed so hard that Luz almost didn’t believe that the girl from before, all shy and scared was the same joyful cutie she had in front of her.</p><p>“I don’t have any idea what a ‘fanfiction’ is, but… I’m glad we are friends Luz,” Willow said.</p><p>“I’m happy too!!”</p><p>At that moment they exited the forest and Luz saw the towers raised and the flying flags that were pending from them. She felt breathless at that moment, lightheaded and stunned.</p><p>“This is Hexside?!” She said, jumping in her place.</p><p>Willow giggled next to her. “Yep. Welcome Luz to Hexside, school of magic and demonic’s.”</p><p>“Hih! This is so cool!!”</p><p>Walking until she was in the stairs—and a few little trips over her feet—Luz took a deep breath, smiling and spinning in her place.</p><p>“Oh, the smell of magic, companionship, and complex backstories with a lot of awful dark drama…” she said, “I <em> really </em>wish I could go inside with you Willow.”</p><p>“Me too, I could use the moral support,” Willow said, pushing her chart to the stairs.</p><p>“Hey, let me help you!”</p><p>Luz got next to Willow and helped her push, the damn thing was <em> heavy </em>and Luz wondered how Willow pushed it alone for most of the route.</p><p>“This class has... a lot of physical labor doesn’t it…?” Luz asked, panting.</p><p>Willow raised an eyebrow at her. “Really? I don’t feel that tired thou…”</p><p>“Willow!!”</p><p>Luz watched in preferential seats how the relaxed girl transformed into a stiff scared one. She stood up straight and followed Willow's sight to find another girl, she was thin and had perfectly clear skin, her hair held in a partial… bum? Ponytail? She wasn’t really sure.</p><p>But Luz did know that she was <em>amazingly </em>pretty.</p><p>“I was worried you wouldn’t come in time,” the girl said when reaching them, a cart behind her moved covered in soft purple light.</p><p>“Hi, Amity…” Willow said, and the edge in her voice made Luz cringe. “I had some… complications.”</p><p>“I can see that. Your uniform is all wet.” The girl—Amity—pointed at Willow with her hand before looking at Luz. “And... you are?”</p><p>“Hi, I… I-I’m Willow's friend, My name’s Luz,” she greeted her, offering her hand, “Amity, right?”</p><p>Luz saw Amity raise an eyebrow at her before she turned back to Willow.</p><p><em>"Rude."  </em>Luz frowned, getting her hand back.</p><p>“Willow, class is about to start, are you ready to present your abomination?” Amity asked and the tone made Luz tensed as much as Willow did.</p><p>What was the deal with this girl?</p><p>“Leave me alone Amity,” Willow said, closing her fists.</p><p>“Oh, come on Willow, I’m just worried about you, I know that even you can get a passing grade.”</p><p>Luz closed her fist and prepared to shout at this… bully! But she stopped at the sight of <em>something. </em></p><p>Amity was… trembling?</p><p>Luz’s rage subsided immediately and she concentrated on the girl. She noticed it then, the forced expression, the mocking glint in her eyes just covered up the slight twitch in her eyebrow and how the hand that held her crossed arms was, maybe, gripping her arm a bit too hard.</p><p>Luz recognized all that, she was forcing something, but what? That, Luz could not tell.</p><p>“As top-student, I have to tell you to keep at it Willow,” she said, smiling, “I’ll see you in class super-star!”</p><p>Luz followed Amity with her eyes until she banished in the hallways, her mind chasing those little details with special attention, sighing when she couldn’t get an answer.</p><p><em>"What is her deal?" </em> Luz thought, this time more seriously.</p><p>“Oh ‘See you in class super-star’. I hate when she does that!” Willow said next to her. “I hate doing abominations, I hate getting bad grades, and I hate Amity looking down on me!!”</p><p>Luz moved when the ground around Willow started to shake and held her by the arms. “Wow, wow, relax, relax Willow!” Luz said. “Hey, I know it's frustrating, but you are going to bring down the building if you don’t chill!!”</p><p>Willow finally reacted and stopped, looking at her before turning down.</p><p>Some cracks had appeared on the floor.</p><p>“Oh, Hex!” Willow muttered before looking at Luz. “Thank you, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you here…”</p><p>“Probably make a lot of property damage.”</p><p>Luz jumped and turned too fast pointing her right hand to the newcomer. The kid raised both hands and let out a little scream. Luz stared, the kid was short, a lot shorter than her, and she could bet he had to be younger, his uniform, contrary to Willow’s and Amity's, had blue instead of magenta.</p><p>“Don’t hurt me, I’m too young to suffer pain!!” He said kneeling.</p><p>Willow got a hand on Luz’s shoulder. “Luz, relax, he is my friend.”</p><p>“Right, right…” Luz said, letting out a small laugh. “Sorry for that mate, you kinda, sorta... totally startle me, to be honest.”</p><p>“He is really sweet you know,” Willow said with a smile, turning to the boy, “Augustus, this is Luz, a friend, Luz, he is Augustus.”</p><p>“Hey there,” Augustus said.</p><p>“Hey, sorry again,” Luz responded, “oh, I met an Augustus back home, we… p-people! People... called him Gus.” Luz corrected herself.</p><p>She never even talked to the guy, to begin with.</p><p>“Gus?” August repeated. “I… I like that sound, yeah, it has a nice ring, from now on, call me ‘Gus’!”</p><p>Willow snickered. “Whatever you say, what did you need anyway <em> Gus?” </em></p><p>“Oh, right!!” He moved, taking out a magazine Luz did not recognize. “You won’t believe what humans do!!”</p><p>Luz tensed and looked at Willow. Her panicked face was no reassurance.</p><p>“Humans? What? I haven’t seen any!” Willow said.</p><p>Luz almost, <em> almost </em>face-palmed.</p><p>“Did you know that humans nail barbed wire to their teeth?!” Gus said, showing them a picture of a girl with braces smiling. “but why would they do that…? Maybe, to make them magnetic!”</p><p>Luz smiled awkwardly. “Actually, those are to strengthen the teeth.”</p><p>She tried—really tried—to not be offended by Gus' look.</p><p>“Excuse me, how could <em> you </em>be so sure?” He got the magazine back into his pocket and crossed his arms.</p><p>“Luz, Gus is the leader of the human appreciation society,” Willow said. “He is an expert in humans around here.”</p><p>Luz nodded and tried hard not to laugh; A society to appreciate <em> humans </em> of all things?</p><p>Yeah, not her thing.</p><p>“I’ve actually been to the human world, and I have a few bits of information on my sleeve.”</p><p>Gus smirked at her. “I don’t believe you.”</p><p>Luz returned the smirk and got her hand in her pocket, getting her phone out of it and showing it to him. Gus' jaw fell when she lit up the screen.</p><p>“W…What?!”</p><p>Luz kept her smug smile when she turned the device, happy to have changed the lock-screen from Camila’s and her photo to one of King sleeping. She unlocked the thing and went to her photos, deciding to use all the ones where she wasn’t included.</p><p>Not much there then…</p><p>“Here is a place where humans go to eat, it’s called a drive-in, here is a cinema, and this is a pool.” She showed him the multiple landscapes and funny things she had captured in the camera for a minute before deciding it was enough. “Have I proven myself?”</p><p>She didn’t expect Gus to kneel. “Master!!”</p><p>“While seeing you two have been fascinating, I have to go to class,” Willow said, sighing.</p><p>Luz's smile became soft and she hugged Willow. “Hey, I have a hunch that today is going to be different.”</p><p>“Wish I could feel that way too,” Willow said, returning the hug.</p><p>Luz separated herself from Willow and put her hand in her pocket, picking out the small ball from before.</p><p>She could…?</p><p>“Here Willow, a good luck charm,” she said, placing the thing in the witch’s hand, “I’m sure, you’ll be fine today, and while you have this, you should do too.”</p><p>Willow stared at her before looking down at her hand. “Is some kind of bad joke?” Willow asked, smiling, “you are giving me a seed? Really?”</p><p><em>"So that is what it was."  </em>Luz thought. “I... I-If you don’t want it I could take it back.”</p><p>“No, no!” Willow clenched the thing hard in her hands, getting it close to her chest. “I was joking… I really appreciate it, Luz.” Willow smiled at her. “It means a lot.”</p><p>“I’ll be here when classes end so we can hang out if you want?” Luz offered then. “I still have a lot of things I want to talk about.”</p><p>Willow put the seed in her pocket, nodding at her. “I would like it.”</p><p>“Can I join?” Gus asked, getting between them.</p><p>Luz laughed a little. “I don’t see why not.”</p><p>Luz stood there and watched them go away. Willow to the left and Gus to the right. She sighed and turned to leave the school grounds. Eda probably had finished harvesting the corpse of the trash slug already.</p><p>“Just where do you think you are going?”</p><p>Luz felt how an invisible force held her and separated her from the ground, pulling her inside the school. She tried to move out of it, to make it snap but it was useless.</p><p>“Just, how shameless can you…? Oh! Who are you?”</p><p>Luz looked over her shoulder to find a pretty old—more like ancient—man with what looked like a demon in his head. His eyes studied her and she felt suddenly small.</p><p>This man was powerful, she could see that much.</p><p>“Who might you be, little witchling?” he asked, dropping her on the ground. “I’ve never seen you around, and I pride myself on having a good memory.”</p><p>Luz tensed, the talk with Willow and the position of Eda with the authority figures pressuring her in her mind. Luz blurted the first thing she could muster.</p><p>“I was l-looking to apply for next semester!”</p><p>“Oh, a new aspirant to Hexside then?”</p><p><em>"Dang it! Now I’ve done it!" </em> Luz thought, shaking.</p><p>“You could've come with the tour two days ago though,” The man said with a hand in his chin.</p><p>Luz looked up and started to get up. “T...T-Truth is Mr…?”</p><p>“Principal, Principal Bump.”</p><p>But of course, Luz couldn’t find a simple teacher she had to go and find the—that word she would think it—principal.</p><p>“Truth is... principal Bump that I’ve been taught magic at home by my family and… well, t-they don’t really like the idea of me coming... here.”</p><p>“Oh? Are they perhaps waiting for Glandus to take in new students?”</p><p>Luz’s eyes went wide, and she looked down at her hoodie. The chat with Willow from before blasted the alarms in her mind.</p><p>“Y-Yeah!” She rushed. “They wanted me to go there, but I just love Hexside and its history...! I… I just wanted to see the place… at least once…” She finished, her face burning and eyes fixed on the floor.</p><p>Her little lie mixed with truths was pretty smooth even if Luz said it herself. She then felt a hand on her hair.</p><p>“I always do respect the search of knowledge,” the principal said with a smile. “For today, I may let you explore the school with one of my best students alongside you, and if you at the end are sure you want to join us, I’ll even let you present the test.”</p><p>Luz's jaw fell at those words. “Really?!”</p><p>“Yes, I’m pretty much serious about it, anything to get back at Glandus after the last year’s humiliation,” principal Bumps said, “I’ll fetch my student right away, follow me.”</p><p>“Y…Y-Yes, sir!!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>For the second time in her day, Luz did not expect what she got when Principal Bump said ‘best student’.</p><p>“Move it you,” Amity told her with a frown, “we don’t have all day.”</p><p>“Right…”</p><p>Luz was dumped with Amity after seeing the whole Abomination classroom gaping at Willow. Luz had smiled at the witch when her abomination not only stood perfectly and was able to blurt a ‘Will’ sound, earning her a pretty solid ‘B+’.</p><p>Luz was proud of her work and happy for her friend.</p><p>“This is the cafeteria, and those are the bathrooms,” Amity said, “are you following nitwit?”</p><p>…Amity didn’t seem so happy herself.</p><p>“Yes, Miss. ‘Top-student’, I can remember some places,” Luz responded, crossing her arms. “haven’t people told you are, like, ninety percent mean.”</p><p>“I don’t care what people think of me.”</p><p>“You sure act like you do.”</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“Nothing, nothing!”</p><p>They passed more places, the photography classroom, the beast keeping stables, the Grugby fields, and even the detention room. Luz was mesmerized by all she saw, but Amity seemingly wanted to rush all the tour.</p><p>“Hey, Amity,” Luz said, stopping next to what she was told was the gym, “I can tell you really, <em> really </em>don’t want to do this.”</p><p>She stopped and turned, keeping her poker face at all times. “Really? How did you know?”</p><p>Luz controlled her response, she wasn’t looking for a fight.</p><p>“Look, since you are so troubled by this, can’t you just tell Bump and dump me with another student? Maybe Willow...! At least she would give me a real tour... and not a race all over the place!!”</p><p>Amity flinched at her words and looked to the side.</p><p>“I can’t do that, Bump asked <em> me </em>, and I have a reputation to maintain.”</p><p>“Really? A reputation?” Luz asked, “What is this? The fifties? Please…!! P-Please don’t answer, it was to myself,” she said, raising a hand to Amity.</p><p>“I wasn’t going to say anything.”</p><p>“Good.” Luz sighed. “L-Look, I...I don’t know what did I do to bother you, but I really want to look at this place since I probably won’t ever have the chance again… ever.”</p><p>When Eda finally got word about it, she would be done for.</p><p>“So please, could you try to give me an actual tour?” Luz begged.</p><p>She saw something in Amity change at that moment, the girl looked away a bit too fast and took a couple of sharp, quick breaths before she faced Luz again.</p><p>“Fine, I’ll <em> try, </em>but don’t expect much, right?” Amity said, crossing her arms, “I’m not a tourist guide.”</p><p>Luz smiled and nodded, walking up to her. “If you try I know it’ll be great!”</p><p>Amity muttered something and turned, motioning Luz to follow her. Luz saw how Amity’s ears moved slightly and while passing a trophy stand she saw her reflection, her own ears doing the same.</p><p><em>"How curious."  </em>She thought, her smile growing wider.</p><p>“Hey, Luce? You are the one who wanted a real tour,” Amity called her, “we don’t have all day if you want a full one.”</p><p>“Coming!” she responded, running a little until she was next to her. “And my name is Luz, no Luce, Amity.”</p><p>Amity scoffed and looked ahead. “ Is a weird name... it suits you though.”</p><p>“Yeah, well yours does suit too,” Luz said, “thou you are not friendly, like, at all.”</p><p>“What did you say?!”</p><p>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Luz smiled when they reached the corridor that went to the principal’s office.</p><p>Amity had lived up to her task after all.</p><p>She did make Luz walk all over the places they have already seen. But this time Luz did feel like she was receiving a real tour. Amity made snarky comments about some classes or teachers; she also gave her some tips about things in the school, like a better spot to read or where to avoid the jocks, she even told her the best seat to take while in spelling class.</p><p>Luz had almost forgotten that she was the girl who bullied Willow when she laughed at her joke of future prediction when they passed the star-reading classroom.</p><p>“Well, that was all,” Amity had said, “I hope you like it. Because I’m exhausted.”</p><p>Luz smiled and nodded. “I really did enjoy it, you are great for this Amity!”</p><p>Did that witch just blush? Oh god, Luz was not letting that slip, ever.</p><p>“I just did what I thought was better, no need to praise me,” Amity said, looking away. “Besides, an upperclassmen could have done it better.”</p><p>“But they didn’t, the one who gave an amazing tour was you,” Luz pointed out, poking Amity’s nose with her finger, “cut yourself some slack, would ya?”</p><p>Amity stared at her before letting out a sound that Luz would bet was a muffled laugh.</p><p>“Whatever,” Amity said, before looking down, “do you mind if I ask something?”</p><p>“Apart from that?” Luz joked and received a glare in response, “I don’t. Relax… thou, I never expect you to want to ask me anything.”</p><p>“I’m surprised as well.” Amity sighed. “…Why did you say you may never be able to attend here?”</p><p>Luz tensed up. Trying to remember what she had told Bump, she couldn’t slip there, she couldn’t!!!</p><p>“Is it because of what Bump said? Your parents want to send you to Glandus?” Amity continued.</p><p>Luz almost sighed in relief.</p><p>“Y...Y-Yeah… well, kinda?” She said, “being fully honest with you, I… I don't think they want me to attend any magic school for that matter.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Who knows?” Luz crossed her arms. “I guess they had a bad experience, anyway they are teaching me at home, but… well, and their lessons are too untraditional for my taste.”</p><p>“So you just came here without telling them?” Amity asked, and she nodded. “That’s uhm… really brave from your part.”</p><p>“Thanks... b-but, well... it doesn’t feel that way. Being honest… I just… I wish I could just tell them I want to come here…”</p><p>Amity moved and placed her hand on Luz’s, making her look. “I’m sure you’ll come to an understanding.”</p><p>Luz’s heart did not—it <em>definitely did not! </em>—flutter at Amity’s smile at that moment.</p><p>“Thanks.” Luz smiled. “You should keep track of those movements, I could end up falling for you.”</p><p>Amity did blush that time and moved her hands away from her as if she just burned her.</p><p>“Shut it, stupid.”</p><p>Luz laughed and bent to hold her belly. She stopped after a few seconds. Looking at Amity, the little mess she was right there didn’t match with her badge of ‘top student’.</p><p><em>"Top student…" </em> Luz thought; the scene from earlier playing in her head. “Hey, Amity?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Luz looked at the other girl, her face serious. “Say… what was that? This morning with Willow I mean?”</p><p>Amity’s mood changed and Luz could swear she saw the flip happening just like an anime changing the angle of a scene to add emotion.</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Amity asked.</p><p>She did so without looking at her.</p><p>“You were really mean to Willow,” Luz pressured, “a… a-and I don’t know why but… but it looked like… like you didn’t want to. So… why? What’s going on between you two?”</p><p>“That’s none of your business,” Amity said, glaring at her, “you shouldn’t go prying into people’s lives!”</p><p>“Wha…? I just answered a really personal question here! I thought we were having a moment! Just how unreasonable can you be?!”</p><p>Amity bit her lip and looked away. Luz glared and turned away too.</p><p>So much for opening.</p><p>“My relationship with Willow is my business,” Amity said, and Luz was about to scream. “But… I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”</p><p>“Yeah, no sheep Sherlock,” Luz muttered.</p><p>Amity sighed and walked up to the principal’s door. “I… I don’t want to be mean to Willow. But I don't have much of a choice.”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>Amity sighed and knocked on the door, separating herself from it and turning to walk away. She did stop next to Luz.</p><p>“Is just how things have to be,” Amity said, “I’m a ‘top student’ best of the best… and she is a ‘half-a-witch’ Willow, we can’t… we can’t be friends.” Amity finished on a high note, smiling at her with that shadow of superiority Luz had seen that same morning.</p><p>… And Luz stood there, processing Amity’s words one by one until she felt like punching something.</p><p>Or someone.</p><p>“Don’t go saying such thing in such a stupid way,” Luz muttered, her head low, “and then walk away while you seem so… sad…”</p><p>Luz swallowed all her thoughts about the stupid problem cart Amity was pulling along with her and walked towards the principal’s office.</p><p>She had a test to take.</p><p>………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Luz was so glad she had studied the runes they used in the boiling isles while staying with Eda those past weeks.</p><p>“You have pretty neat calligraphy, though your grammar could use some improvements.”</p><p>“I’ll have that noted,” Luz said.</p><p>The principal had gone straight for the spelling test, Luz showed him her four spells. He wasn’t impressed with the light glyph, but he did enjoy seeing her play with the plants in his decks and getting him a hot drink using the ice and fire glyph one after the other.</p><p>“So… Do I qualify?” Luz had asked when principal Bump finished correcting her test.</p><p>Bump smiled at her, placing the written test aside. “I’m happy to inform you that you have passed the test for the advance class in Hexside, and we will gladly have you attending the next semester…”</p><p>“Yes!!!”</p><p>“…If, you can get a guardian that is.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Bump shook his head and motioned her to sit back down, Luz did so and received two pieces of paper, a form, and a pamphlet. She eyed both, the ‘Hexside’ name was written in golden and indigo letters.</p><p>“I’m afraid, Luz, that even with your potential and already mastered spells, we can’t break the regulations established by the Emperor’s Covent.”</p><p><em>"This world has a weird name for school boards." </em> Luz thought, nodding.</p><p>“We require at least the permission of a guardian to let you enroll since, well, some classes are a bit…”</p><p>“‘Almost sure to be killed or maimed’?” Luz read the pamphlet.</p><p>“Yes, that,” Bump said, “so I’ll need you to get a firm before the next semester starts.”</p><p><em>"So far for a dream</em>." Luz thought with a sight. “Thanks for the chance principal Bump, but I’m sure that's not going to work out.”</p><p>“A real shame, having to let such a good potential be taken by Glandus, Hexside prides herself on giving the students the most appropriate area of study so they can bloom into their best potential!”</p><p>That piqued Luz’s interest.</p><p>“Say, principal Bump sir? Have you ever encountered a student that was… misplaced?”</p><p>“Misplaced?” Bump repeated, “I must say that we have some… yet, we’ve been taking special care so our students are just where they belong.”</p><p>Luz’s smile couldn’t have been brighter. “I would like to show you something, principal... if you have the time to spare?”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Look who's back,” Eda said when Luz entered the Owl house, “the traitor!”</p><p>“Good seeing you too,” Luz sighed, dropping herself next to Eda on the couch.</p><p>Eda shared a look with King and dropped her crossed arms. “What happened kiddo? I thought you having gone to Hexside would have a… different, effect to be honest.”</p><p>“The school was great,” Luz said, “they even gave me a tour because I told them I was considering enrolling.”</p><p>“Oh, wow…”</p><p>“Yeah, they were more understanding than what I expected.” Luz sighed and got her hand in her side bag, getting a folded sheet of paper out of it. “I even presented the test to get inside the next semester, also got them a new garden, and placed another student on a different.”</p><p>She would not forget the super bright smile in Willow’s face when Bump saw her raise a giant three from a single seed. The man even thanked Luz for the note and changed Willow’s uniform immediately.</p><p>That seed had really been a good luck charm at the end. It was sad having to cancel her plans with Willow and Gus thought, but well, telling her parents of the change of track was important too.</p><p>“I had so much fun…” Luz said, closing her eyes.</p><p>“You… you did?”</p><p>Luz then looked at Eda, the face of the elderly witch was plagued with dejection and even… a little hurt? Luz felt as if someone had just punched in the guts.</p><p><em>"I’m so insensible…" </em> She sighed, turning back to front and closing her eyes. “Don’t worry though; I’m no getting into Hexside any time soon, or ever for that matter.”</p><p>Eda’s ears perked up at that. “No?”</p><p>“Nope, first of all, I already have a great teacher,” Luz said with a shrug and a smirk, “even when I wish she would at least <em> teach </em> me something sometimes.”</p><p>Eda laughed at her jab.</p><p>“And the other thing?” the witch asked.</p><p>Luz shook her head and gave her the paper. “I can’t get in without the firm of at least one parent or guardian,” Luz explained when Eda opened the folded paper. “So yeah, no magic school even if I didn’t have my great mentor already.”</p><p>Luz stood up and moved towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna make some tea, would like some?”</p><p>“I could sign this, you know?”</p><p>That stopped Luz dead in her tracks.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>Eda looked at her for a second before looking down at the paper again. “I could sign this if you really want.”</p><p>“But… But Eda, I thought you hated school.”</p><p>“And I do, deeply and fondly, don’t get me wrong.” The woman stood up and walked up to Luz, extending the paper to her. “But those are my experiences… I think, even if I don’t like it, that you should have your own.”</p><p>Luz took the sheet from the woman’s hands, passing her sight from one it to Eda a few times in complete silence.</p><p>“I… I don’t…” She took a shivering breath. “I don’t know… what to say….”</p><p>“Telling if you want or not could be nice.”</p><p>Luz let out a sound that could’ve been a laugh or a cry. “Is… is just…”</p><p>“…Just what kid?” Eda asked, “you are making this seem like a big…”</p><p>“…Nobody ever asked me what I wanted.”</p><p>“…Deal.”</p><p>“My mom, Camila,” she corrected herself, “never really… asked me what I wanted to do, she always told me that it was for my own good… that I had to be <em> normal </em> … she always pushed things on me, and she did it because she loves me but…” Luz looked up, her eyes were stinging her. “This is the first time… someone actually asks me what <em> I </em>want…”</p><p>Why was she crying? She shouldn’t be this touched by a stupid form, no! she shouldn’t be feeling so moved, stop it, Luz!! You can’t be doing this!! You need to compose, you have to be normal and just accept or deject, nobody wants to hear your life, just shut it and walk away!! Just…!!</p><p>“Come here, you kid.” Luz heard.</p><p>And a pair of arms were awkwardly surrounding her.</p><p>“Listen, I don’t… I don’t know how this thing works, so you’ll tell me if you already feel better,” Eda said, and Luz looked up, the woman was <em> deeply </em>uncomfortable if her face said anything, “what is next? Argh…! Maternal gesture, maternal gesture?”</p><p>The even more awkward and reluctant paths in her head made Luz laugh, whole-heartily and loud. She pushed away from Eda, rubbing the tears away with her arm.</p><p>“I’m fine already, thanks… thank you, Eda,” Luz said, “I... I’ll think about, Hexside I mean… though I don’t know how would they accept me if you are, you know… a wanted criminal? Does your firm even count for this?”</p><p>Eda opened her mouth to talk and closed it seconds after, not saying anything.</p><p>“… I guess that’s a no,” Luz joked, shaking her head, “well, at least you wanted to help, that’s enough.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it, this.” Eda gestured between them. “Never happened, got it?”</p><p>“Gotcha!” Luz responded, “now, shall we make dinner? I bet King is starving… wait, where’s King?”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry, he is alright,” Eda said with a snicker, “If you really want to know, you can look in the backyard.</p><p>Luz did that, and she was sure that even in Hexside they heard her scream.</p><p>“Why is King covered in baby trash slugs and salt?!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Willow and Amity and Gus! Hex-squad is here!<br/>Now, I was aiming for a more complex Amity situation, since Luz had been bullied (we supposed) she should be good at reading people, and since she spent more time with Amity in this version, the attitude will be different.... also, Lumity build-up, so yeah.<br/>Leave any questions, theories, comments, criticism on the comments and I'll try to answer, hope you enjoyed the ride today.<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Intrusion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the middle of a stormy night, Eda's past comes back to haunt her, and Luz, along with King and Hooty get trap in the middle.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New update!<br/>Special thanks to Cidadell! Who commented and keeps following this story! I love ya bud!<br/>Today is one the heaviest chapters in season 1A and I'm gonna make it worse! -Evil laugh in spanish-<br/>Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the reading! See ya at the bottom.<br/>Note: The Owl house is Dinsey property and Dana Terrance Creation!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>"We’ll never be able to take back what we say to others, but if we don’t say anything, then we wouldn’t have others to tell things to, to begin with.”</em> </b>
</p><p>“So… how long do you think the rain will go on?”</p><p>“Probably all night,” King told her, “anyway, we can continue our lesson, right?”</p><p>Luz smiled at the little demon and nodded, turning again to the—clearly—improvised board King had made for their ‘Demons 101’ lesson. The little creature had gone all over the place explaining things from different types of demons. And even when she had already read the books and knew a few of them, she didn’t have the heart to tell him that.</p><p>His tail was moving of how happy he was for god’s sake!!!</p><p>The rain had come in the middle of their lesson and Luz had seen Eda fall asleep on the couch almost an hour ago. She was a bit—a lot—disappointed with not getting to learn any new spell that day either.</p><p>But she looked tired. So Luz wouldn’t be taking chances.</p><p>“So… the Snaggleback is the most powerful demon out there?” Luz asked, “I thought you were, with being ‘king’ and all…”</p><p>“The strongest demon won’t be a king, only a true commander and ruler can be a King!”</p><p>“Aja.”</p><p>“You are mocking me, aren’t ya?” King asked.</p><p>“Just a little maybe?” Luz said, “but hey, I never would’ve guessed all this…”</p><p>King smiled and dropped in her lap. “That’s because I’m the only one who can ever teach the right way of dealing with demons, as I already told you we are creatures of sulfur and bone…!!!”</p><p>“And cute little paws.”</p><p>“…And cute little paws, true…” He sighed, Luz would never drop that last part. “Anyway, we covered our entire lesson for today, what do you want to do?”</p><p>Luz sighed and scratched King’s chin. “I would love to investigate a bit about my family, or at least get a real lesson on magic today! But…”</p><p>King and Luz’s eyes traveled directly to the sleeping shape on the couch. Eda was out cold, and that was being vain about it. The woman had touched the thing and blacked out.</p><p>“I guess defensive spells do leave a mark on your energy.” Luz looked at her bracelet, “I wonder if I can find the glyph somewhere…”</p><p>“I’ve been curious about that thing,” King said, “where did you get it?”</p><p>Luz raised an eyebrow. “My bracelet?”</p><p>“Yep, what else?”</p><p>“I’m ignoring what that implies about me,” Luz said, “and… I made it, actually.”</p><p>“You did?” King moved to hold her left arm. “But is metal, and it obviously has some magic mojo on it, how did you do it?”</p><p>“That… is a story I prefer not to share, sorry King,” Luz said, standing up, “I can tell you it wasn’t easy, at least.”</p><p>“Keep your secrets you half-a-witch. Just give me something to eat!”</p><p>Luz smiled and nodded, walking to the kitchen. “OK, OK, what does the great ruler want to eat now?”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Luz was half asleep when she heard the crash.</p><p>A window broke on the first floor, Hooty screamed and King jolted to hide next to her. Luz looked around, her bracelet lit up and her right hand letting the light balls flow out of her palm, moving through the dark room…</p><p>Dark?</p><p>“What happened to the lights?” Luz asked, looking around.</p><p>“I don’t know, but it’s no good…” King said, shivering, “we should probably just stay here…”</p><p>There was a thunder and Luz heard a crash from the ground floor. Her eyes went wide and she was running seconds later, King just behind her.</p><p>“Why are you running towards the sound?! We should run away from it!!”</p><p>Luz stopped on the stairs, concentrating on the fire spell, she cast a fireball and held it ready to shoot.</p><p>“Luz, what are you doing?”</p><p>“Eda is down there!” She finally answered, “she was asleep! Whatever got inside, it probably has her!”</p><p>There was another crashing sound and Luz was jumping down the stairs. King was screaming after her from the second floor, not daring to go down.</p><p>The living room was a mess… well, messier than usual.</p><p>The candles were on the ground, broken and the paintings were all over the place, ragged and destroyed. Luz even saw the wanted poster for Eda—the really big one—with its protective crystal cracked in its place.</p><p>“What happened here…?” she whispered.</p><p>“The Snaggleback!” King said, jumping on her back,” It’s here!”</p><p>“If that’s really the thing, then why are you being so loud?” Luz said back, fixing her position. “Eda is not here…”</p><p>“The Snaggleback got her…”</p><p>“We don’t know that, for all, we know she woke up and is in her room…”</p><p>“We would’ve seen her.”</p><p>“Let me be positive about it for a sec, would ya?”</p><p>Then they looked at the door, all Luz’s positivism died right away.</p><p>A big creature stood there, eating Hooty—a part of him—with its bare teeth and claws. It looked at them, releasing a screech so high and powerful that Luz had to dispel the fireball to cover her ears.</p><p>“What is that thing?!”</p><p>King was answering right away. “The Snaggleback!!”</p><p>“Really?” Luz made a new fireball. “You know what? I don’t care right now, is giving Eda back!”</p><p>Luz moved her hand, the bracelet lit up in blue light and she placed her right palm on the floor, an ice mantle covered the creature’s claws. Luz smiled… until it broke free from the spell, with another screech, it was gone out of the house. Luz ran after it, catching just a glimpse when the thing? Demon? Got on the second floor by Eda’s window.</p><p>“No, no, no. Eda!!” Luz screamed.</p><p>Before she could run inside the house, something cracked under her feet. She looked down, finding a piece of glass… red glass.</p><p>“What are you doing?” King asked, “that thing got in the house!”</p><p>“I know, but look!” Luz said, kneeling, “this is Eda’s window glass.”</p><p>“Yeah, so? That thing just broke it!”</p><p>“And yet, all the glass is here!” Luz said, “if that thing just broke the window from outside, the glass wouldn’t be here!”</p><p>King stared at her, and then his eyes went wide. Realization struck him and he began to shiver.</p><p>“That… That means…”</p><p>Luz nodded, getting up and igniting a new fireball. “That thing came from Eda’s room.”</p><p>New information in hand, Luz moved to the kitchen, looking around for anything that may protect her against a demon. She had magic, sure, but that had proven multiple times to not be enough in the past.</p><p>“What are we going to do?” King said, “that thing has Eda, and now is in the house!”</p><p>“We need to find Eda first, she would know,” Luz said, tying two pillows around her middle with duct tape.</p><p>“And how are we finding her?” King asked, doing the same.</p><p>Luz looked at him for a second, then sighed again.</p><p>“King, I need you to stay here.”</p><p>“What?! I won’t let you go alone up there!”</p><p>Luz bent down to the same level as the demon and smiled. “And I’m not asking you to, but I need to know you are safe while I go upstairs, ‘sides, we need to lay a trap.”</p><p>“A trap?”</p><p>“Yeah, the Snaggleback eats boiled tourists, doesn’t it? So we need to attract the beast with something similar.” Luz then stood up and walked to the fridge, smiling when finding the right thing. “And we have a weeks’ worth of meat here.”</p><p>King stared at her before nodding. “OK, I’ll prepare the trap, but please, be careful?” King said.</p><p>“Aw… you care for me!!”</p><p>“Of course I do!” King stomped, looking away. “I… I don’t have many friends and some people don't always take me seriously… but you were listening to me, you didn’t make fun of me… what I’m trying to say is.”</p><p>King moved closer, looking at her in the eyes from his place.</p><p>“You are a friend to me…” King finally said, “so please. Be safe.”</p><p>Luz smiled at him, kneeling and hugging the little demon tightly before kissing him all over the face.</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>She may have lied to King, just a little if she was fully honest.</p><p>In her defense, the plan just went to waste when the beast decided that some living prey was better than any dead meat boiling in the kitchen. When was the last time she faced a monster in a close room without being able to throw fire at it?</p><p>Last week? Seemed about right.</p><p>The thing was not the Snaggleback. Far too many fathers and it didn’t seem interested in the boiling pot they left. Eda would be so mad when she saw they just ruined a whole week of meat on boiling blood.</p><p>Thinking about it, Luz was sure she would actually like it.</p><p>The horrid screech returned her to the room. Her wall of ice wouldn’t be holding for much longer. She still had to find a way to stop that thing! But she couldn’t bring herself to hit it with a powerful fire blast to the face. First, she would end up burning the house!</p><p>And Hooty would never let her live it down!</p><p><em>"Why must all be so… complicated?!"</em> She thought, strengthening the spell with a new layer of ice. “Stupid thing…” she said through shivering teeth.</p><p>The beast stopped its attack after finding the new layer of her defenses, screaming—screeching? Howling? Luz wasn’t sure anymore—at her. She was impressed by its perseverance.</p><p>“Never an easy task…” Luz sighed.</p><p>She then caught a look of the beast up front.</p><p>Black eyes, really dark and big black eyes, long fangs, and claws, all mixed up in feathers and hair covered skull with long ears.</p><p>Luz gaped when the realization hit her.</p><p>“Eda…?” She whispered, raising a hand in the direction of the beast.</p><p>Suddenly, the owl-like monster sprang forward in an attempt to attack Luz after breaking through the first layer of ice. Acting quickly, the girl used her magic to create another wall of ice to defend herself. As the bracelet glowed a light blue, she slammed her palm on the sheet of ice and the wall pushed Eda back. When she was able to defend herself, Luz gave a smile of relief before Eda let out an animalistic screech.</p><p>Gasping as she saw the Owl Beast was still ready to fight, Luz used her Fire Glyph to try and scare her into not moving with a ring of flames. Unfortunately, the monster snuffed the flames out with its breath. </p><p>“Eda, please stop! I want to help you,” Luz pleaded before using her bracelet’s plant Glyph to create vines to hold her transformed mentor back. With the vines tying down Eda, Luz held out her hand when she thought Eda was immobile. Reaching out for her to show she wasn’t going to hurt her, Luz tried to place her hand on Eda’s head.</p><p>It was just a scene like she remembered from a movie she enjoyed, where the main character befriended a dangerous dragon.</p><p>There was a reaction, but it died just as it came. Luz had to get her hand back when the beast cracked her defenses and managed to get free by snapping the vines apart. Growling, she looked around, there had to be something she could do!!</p><p>“Come on… you’ve been studying demons with King,<em> puedo hacerlo</em>!” She said, closing her eyes. “What is different about her now?”</p><p>Luz opened her eyes and took another glance at Eda, this time she wasn’t just appreciating her form, but actually watching it after creating another barrier of ice. The feathers and hair told her that it was still somehow a mammal, the fangs, and claws that it was a predator and the eyes that she…</p><p>“Is sensible to light…” Luz whispered, her eyes going wide.</p><p>Eda broke through the ice, Luz raised her hand and ran her power through the light glyph in her bracelet, closing her eyes. The heat of the light and the screech didn’t wait long to appear in her surroundings and Luz was then pushed down by something… fluffy?</p><p>Opening one eye she saw the wing of the creature over her. “Did… Did it work?”</p><p>“Luz!!”</p><p>Moving away from the beast, Luz was tackled by King, the little demon was trembling and almost made her go straight to the floor.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re OK!” he said.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m glad you’re OK to Boo-boo buddy.”</p><p>King let go of her. “I’m kinda over that nickname, but I’ll let it slip.” King then turned to watch Eda. “Is it dead?”</p><p> Luz's smile died on her face and she sighed. “Don’t… think so.”</p><p>A low growl was all the confirmation they needed.</p><p>“What even is this thing?” King asked, getting close to its face. “Wait, isn’t this…?”</p><p>“Eda? Yeah,” Luz said, crossing her arms, “I think we are short on some explanations…”</p><p>“How could she end up like this?” King muttered, “and how do we fix it?”</p><p>“I’m guessing something in her room should do it,” Luz said walking outside, “she was going there before all this happened, apparently.”</p><p>Eda’s room was still a mess, but now Luz could place somethings in an order. Eda had come to her room, looking for something to stop… whatever that happened to her. She stopped in the middle of it and then tried to get to the nest, breaking the side of it when she got her hand transformed into a beast’s one.</p><p>From there on, it was easy, Eda turned into a monster, heard the sounds from below and when finding the door close, she jumped out of the window, attacking Hooty right away.</p><p>But…</p><p>“What were you looking for?” Luz muttered to herself, walking around the mess.</p><p>There were books all around the place, some shiny objects, and Luz could make out pots with plants she didn’t recognize. But more than anything, she saw bottles, broken ones, and others just… empty. Taking one, Luz saw a note attached to it.</p><p>“An elixir a day keeps the curse at bay”</p><p>“Curse?” Luz repeated.</p><p>And it all ‘clicked’.</p><p>Eda was cursed, and that curse turned her into that beast. Luz placed the bottle aside and moved around the room. She must have tried to get her dose but wasn’t able to get it in time. She just needed to find more!</p><p>“Where could Eda place a secret stock of elixir?” she caught a slight glow coming from the broken doors of the closet. “… it can’t be that easy, right?”</p><p>It was that easy.</p><p>“Right, I just need to give this to Eda and it all be… fine…”</p><p>Yet, something bugged her.</p><p>Luz closed her eyes and walked out of the room.</p><p>Eda was cursed, not something small like coughs or losing hair, a real curse that affected her harshly. Something that placed King, Hooty, Luz, and even Eda herself at risk… and she had kept it quiet.</p><p>She held a secret, a really, really big one.</p><p>Luz shivered. She could understand Eda not wanting them to know, she was holding secrets of her own, she knew there were things hard to talk about, and she knew all of the possible explanations for Eda to keep quiet about it. She was trying so hard…</p><p>“Luz, did you find the thing?” King asked.</p><p>She looked at Eda, the beast was still knocked out, fortunately. With a sigh she moved closer to her, kneeling in front of her face.</p><p>Why couldn’t she forget about it?</p><p>Eda had all the right to keep secrets, she didn’t have to tell Luz anything, she just crashed in her house, they were nothing more than friends—at most—by the circumstances.</p><p><em>"Why couldn’t you just tell me?!</em> "Luz thought, placing the bottle in front of her and covering her face with her hands.</p><p>“Luz? Are you OK?” King asked, standing next to her.</p><p>She nodded; lying about that question was easy. “Yeah, yeah… I’m just tired.”</p><p>Looking for the last time at Eda, Luz stood up and turned her back on her.</p><p>She needed to think.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</p><p>“Luz? Are you in there?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Luz looked at the door, a pretty tired Eda came by, her hair was still a mess and she seemed like she was about to throw up, but other than that, she seemed… fine.</p><p>Not a beast at least.</p><p>“…King told me you… er… helped me, with my problem,” Eda said.</p><p>Luz nodded and turned down at her phone, not daring to keep eye contact with Eda for too long.</p><p>“Listen, Luz, I wasn’t fully honest with you…”</p><p><em>"Oh? You weren’t?"</em> She thought, her grip on her phone getting stronger.</p><p>“Truth is, when I was younger, I got cursed,” Eda began, “and if I don’t drink my elixir… Well, that’s why people call me, the 'Owl Lady’.”</p><p>Luz stayed silent, waiting for Eda to go on, but there wasn’t anything else coming out of her.</p><p>Was she kidding?</p><p>“So is because of that?” Luz asked, “not because you are so ‘wise’, or the rat bones… or the shiny objects?”</p><p>Luz moved her hands to the sides and stood up, looking at Eda in the eyes. The woman gasped and Luz could just imagine that wetness in her cheeks was more than an illusion.</p><p>She didn’t want to cry.</p><p>“Is all, because of a curse, a curse you didn’t think, was important enough to mention?”</p><p>“Kid?”</p><p>Luz let out a laugh. “So you just went and thought ‘I don’t need to tell anybody about this’, right? ‘Cause is not relevant, at all?!”</p><p>Eda’s expression changed then, her surprised face was quickly replaced by a frown.</p><p>“This is my issue if ya didn’t notice!” Eda snapped, “I’m fine, I deal with it!!”</p><p>“By almost killing King and me?!” Luz shouted back, “what would’ve happened if I wasn’t here? If King was the only one in the house with you?!”</p><p>“We have been fine until now!!”</p><p>“That’s just pushing your luck!”</p><p>“This is not your business!!”</p><p>“I also live here, it is my business if you could just turn into a monster and eat me while I sleep!!”</p><p>“I wouldn’t do that!!”</p><p>“How are you so sure?! You already tried to kill me!!”</p><p>Those words apparently got under the woman’s skin and she looked away.</p><p>“Look kid, no one likes to be cursed, but if you take the right steps is manageable…”</p><p>“Don’t, don’t brush off what this is, this is not like bad eyesight. You turned into something that almost killed all of us!!! I had to save Hooty from you, and he is a house!!” Luz bit her lip so hard that she feared tearing it. “Why wouldn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped!”</p><p>Eda snorted. “How kiddo? What could ya’ve done for me?”</p><p>“I could‘ve made sure your elixir was where you left it, or just fetched you a bottle before you went to sleep!”</p><p>“I don’t need you babysitting me!” Eda said then, giving a step towards Luz. “I can take care of myself!”</p><p>“But you don’t have to!!” Luz finally broke, holding Eda’s hands with her own. “Eda, I’m here now, I trust you with my story, with my fears… I know trust is not something you exchange, but please!!”</p><p>She fought a sob to no avail, Luz couldn’t even look at Eda anymore.</p><p>“This is not only your problem anymore, you put King, Hooty, me, and yourself at risk here… even if it’s just a little, even just a little... trust me, please…”</p><p>Luz's response came as a slap on her hand.</p><p>She looked up, Eda was glaring at her.</p><p>“Stop acting so mighty will ya?” She said, “this is something I have to face by myself!! I don’t have to tell you shump, you are just a freeloader!!!”</p><p>Eda could have hit her with a magical blast and Luz would’ve been less hurt.</p><p>“I see… I guess that’s all I am, right?” Luz whispered, her arms going limp at her sides.</p><p>Eda’s face twisted. Something like regret appeared in her expression.</p><p>“Kid... I didn’t…”</p><p>“No, no, don’t worry.” Luz rubbed the tears from her eyes, she didn’t feel like crying anymore. “You are right, I’m just a freeloader, I just so happened to find you when I came here, I’m nothing more than this silly girl who lives in your house,” she said, “you don’t have to tell me anything, and I don’t have to expect anything from you.”</p><p>Luz tried to smile, but she wasn’t sure if the thing in her face resembled any sort of expression like it.</p><p>Eda moved her hand as if to reach her, but Luz gave a step back. The rain was stopping outside.</p><p>“Luz, listen, I couldn’t just tell you about the curse,” Eda began, “I can’t bring myself to just say it whenever…”</p><p>“No,” Luz said, getting another step away, “don’t you dare to use that excuse… I can’t believe you would keep this away from me, and now you are using the excuse of never having the right time, there were plenty!!”</p><p>Eda greeted her teeth. “Those times were never appropriated!” Eda shook her head. “And this is not something you needed to know!”</p><p>“I didn’t need to know? Eda you turn into a giant beast if you don’t take your elixir!! My room is down the hall!!” Luz pointed out. “Wouldn’t you think about what’ll happen if you forgot one night? What could you do? To me?! Is what just happened not enough to make you think!!”</p><p>That seemed to strike her, and Luz couldn’t have felt worse about winning a discussion.</p><p>“You couldn’t be honest with me, even after I opened myself to you, so many times!!” Luz shook her head. “But what was I thinking? Of course, you’ll keep secrets, I don’t mind secrets, hell I have some too! But this? This is something that could’ve ended us.” She scoffed. “But who cares? Right? You are the 'Owl Lady’! The most wanted criminal in the isles…!” Luz let out a dry laugh. “And I’m just a freeloader, just as you said, as I should’ve expected.”</p><p>“What, ya mean by that?”</p><p>Luz glared at her. “I mean, you don’t care. Not about King, not about the house… and not about me.”</p><p>Luz turned around and walked out towards the door, stopping just about to leave the room.</p><p>“I’ll go to Willows house for tonight…” Luz said, “I… I think we all need some space.”</p><p>She didn’t wait for Eda to say anything.</p><p>She ran… just like always.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, cannon divergence is good~<br/>Welp, today I have to give special thanks to a friend from the discord server who helped a lot with the 'Owl beast' part, so "A" if you are reading this story, you know you are amazing!<br/>As always, I'll be trying to answer every comment, this week was a bad one because of trash internet, so yeah.<br/>Hope you liked it! Remember updates every Saturday! Also, there will be weekly updates every Wednesday on my other fic "Avatar the legend of The Owl Lady"!<br/>with nothing else to say. G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Family Ties - Part one: Home Away From Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A fight has separated the group, now, Luz is adapting to the life outside the 'Owl House' while Eda and King try to keep themselves from missing her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Coming in hot!<br/>Since my Avatar Au had a bumpy start, I'm thinking of giving an early one to this one!<br/>Now, here goes a huge cannon divergence, I hope you are ready for it!<br/>Also, please note, there has been a small change in the formating with the thoughts.<br/>Character thoughts will now be in quotation marks and in italics. Not so much more to say so...<br/>Read ya in the end! Hope you enjoy it!</p>
<p>Disclaimer: The Owl House is not my property and this story is made solely with the goal of entertainment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“The value something has to us; is our decision, not anyone else’s. Same goes for people.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>You never get to choose how valuable you are for someone else.”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz, I have to go to school!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m coming!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz exited the guest room and ran through the little hallway until she was in front of Willow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, I overslept…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willow scolds her with a mocking hit on the head. “You shouldn’t, you need to sleep early and you know it, how long did you stay up all this time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just five minutes…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Past?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…M…M-Midnight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz!!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her scolding got stopped by a laugh that came next to them, Luz then felt a hand in her head, she looked up to find a tanned man with a cup of coffee and little crumbs in his beard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give the girl a little air to breathe pumpkin, she is rereading all your notes on nights after you finish studying.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And would you know that, Marcus?” asked another voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz saw how the relaxed man instantly became a mass of nerves worse than her. From the kitchen a man with clear white skin and a pair of glasses came, a frown set on the other grown-up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aaron, dear is just…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You stayed up looking contest programs again, didn’t you?” Aaron said, crossing his arms, “I thought we already discussed this, no beacon for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now Aaron let’s not be so hasty!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz can have your part.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aaron!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz laughed along with Willow at the scene, both men going back to the dining room to continue their… ‘fight’, leaving both girls in the hallway to the entrance of the house. The place wasn’t too fancy, but rather simple and cozy, plus it could just fit four, maybe five people in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was a home, something Luz didn’t know she’d miss so much when she ran away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure you don’t want to come?” Willow asked, “principal Bump was pretty impressed with that easy you made me do the last time, he says that is such a shame a good student is not getting to the school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz smiled and shook her head. “Nah, it’ll just remind me about what I can’t have, no parents here, remember?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willow nodded at her, sighing and hugging her before going out for school. “I’ll see you after class then!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Luz responded, watching her go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz let out a sigh before slapping her cheeks and going back to the guest’s room to change and get ready for the work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her day was just starting after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willow’s dads were incredibly nice letting her crash for a week. Luz had offered to help them with some work since she wouldn’t be leaving the place all that much, with not being in a magic school at all, she needed to occupy herself in what she could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She did some research around town, but nothing seemed to connect with her parent from fourteen years ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she stopped looking without clues and looked to work for her stay, against Willow’s, Aaron’s, and Marcus’ wishes, she had managed to get something like a shift in their stores.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you ready for a bit of messy work?” Marcus asked her when Luz sat on the table, already dressed up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz nodded, receiving a plate with a lot of bacon and eggs. “Born ready!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That may be the case, but eat first, kids need to grow strong, and you can only do that with a full stomach,” Aaron said, giving her a glass of apple blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After ten minutes of Marcus begging her to give back his bacon and Luz failing to help the poor man, Luz was wearing an anvil and gloves, looking at a pretty big unicorn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span> They sure are less like horses here… </span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought, moving around it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unicorns in the human realm had been like horses, the horn, and some feathers in the mane. But the boiling isles took that to a whole new level. The unicorn in front of her had a full mane of feathers; the eyes were big and round with a precious blue instead or black, the horn was longer than anything Luz had ever seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First time seeing a pregnant one?” Marcus asked beside her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz nodded. “Is my first time seeing an actual one, to be honest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How come, that’s so horrible! The feathered Unicorns are a bit rare, but they are better than the normal unicorns,” the man said, “well anyway, now you are about to see much more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on his face did not reassure her at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you are here to work, aren’t you?” Marcus then passed her a bucket with hot water and some towels. “Let’s get to work then; you said you were born ready!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz stared at the thing in her hands, shivering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was wrong to have said that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda had nightmares that time, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was now frequent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She got up startle, just like always, and reached for her elixir, downing it in a single ‘gulp’ before standing up, stretching and walking out to get to the bathroom, where she would find the same mess she left the night before and sighed at it, get into the shower, clean herself and go down to the kitchen to get her concentrated apple blood and start to prepare the potions she had to deliver that day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All alone, as always.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then why did she feel so empty while at it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re using the wrong book again,” King's voice came from under the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda stopped making the boiling cream, looking at the recipe book. He was right, she wasn’t even holding something about potions!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And here I was wondering why it said woods and nails…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a sigh she left the things aside, getting a hand to her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just what is wrong with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King apparently had the answer. “You are distracted because Luz is not here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No, I’m not!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yesterday you stayed up until four in the morning waiting for her to burst through the door yelling she just messed up so bad and needed you to save her!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the-No! I didn’t!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King then proceeded to get a piece of paper pretty worn out and ragged. The paper anyhow, let the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Luz’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>, ‘ </span>
  <em>
    <span>apology </span>
  </em>
  <span>’ and the other two ‘ </span>
  <em>
    <span>maternal gesture </span>
  </em>
  <span>’ be read.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In her handwriting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I look in the trash when I don’t like what we have for dinner,” he responded to her incomplete question. “The point here is, you miss Luz!!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No I don’t!” Eda shot back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do not!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do not!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do too!!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t miss the kid!!!” she finally screamed, closing her eyes and blasting magic in all directions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard a whimper and open to look at King, he was on the ground against a wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“King?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m OK, I’m OK!” He rushed to say, standing slowly. “But you? You should look at the mirror for all the time you spend in the bathroom!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked—limped—away from her, disappearing in the kitchen. Eda stared after him before groaning and dropping on the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really, what are ya doing me?” She whispered, covering her head with her arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stayed there for about ten minutes until her body couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up and looked at the potion she was supposed to be making, the mixture had gone too hot and now was more probably a killing poison than a beauty product.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she’ll have to start all over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without the energy for that, Eda started her way upstairs, she might as well get more herb form her room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stopped before reaching it though, her eyes landing in the room that was supposed to be Luz’s. She gave a step towards it, but stopped. The last time she was inside that place Luz had taken a bag with clothes—probably all the clothes she owned—and walked off the house once the boiling rain was over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda wasn’t strong enough to face that yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she just stared at it, until Hooty’s voice broke her out of the trance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A guest is down here Eda!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span> A guest? </span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda thought, walking back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was faced with a man with a stupid white robe and a bird-like mask. The man looked at her and raised a hand in her direction, as if to cast a spell. Eda crossed her arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ya better be sure to take me down with that,” Eda said, “cause there won’t be another shot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The emperor’s soldier stood there for a while, before lowering his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good kid, now, what do ya want?” Eda said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By order of the head of the Emperor’s Covent, you, Edalyn Clawthorne The Owl Lady had been summoned to the annual Covention that shall take place tomorrow!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span> The actual heck? Why does a straight up snob want me there? </span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda thought. “What for? I’m not going straight to a trap.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard extended a letter to her. Eda moved slowly, studying the thing before taking it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a pass?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll be treated as a common witch at the time of the event,” the Emperor’s soldier said, “you won’t be a criminal, the card is enchanted so you are not to be attacked by anyone without previous aggression.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda whistled at that. “Why give me a golden pass?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those were my orders, now. Farwell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda watched him go, Hooty closing the door immediately when he was gone, and Eda stared once again at the card. She makes a recognition spell on the card. Sure enough, the enchantment was there, just as the soldier said, but she was more surprised by the lack of traps or curses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was strange,” King commented from the stairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda nodded, sighing and throwing the pass on the table. “Tell me about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda turned, looking at King’s direction she noticed that he was charging a book. Not one of hers, that’s for sure, it was a small notebook, covered in lots of glitter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are ya doing with that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King looked down to his paws, hugging the thing. “Nothing! What are you doing?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda sighed and made a spell, taking the notebook from him. King let out a scream and tried to reach it, failing at the movement of the thing in mid air. Eda got a grip on in, opening it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A piece of paper fell to the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“Eda The Owl Lady and her apprentice, the wandering witch Luz!!!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Plus, the fearsome king of demons!!!</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If there was anything capable of making Eda cry, it was that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She dropped the notebook, looking at the drawing of her, Luz and King flying on Owlbert. The drawing was stupid, Luz blasting light spells to the sky while King had his stupid stuffed bunny. Eda herself was just smiling while maintaining the flight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why you…?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda thought, dropping to her knees and holding the stupid paper, something was wet on her cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz hadn’t been with her more than two week, two and half tops!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So why in hell…?” Eda muttered, “why am I crying?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For someone who prides herself in being wise you are acting stupid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She raised her head and faced King, the little demon was shivering. But his face was stern—as stern a bone face can be—when he walked up to her. He placed his paw on her hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do ya mean?” She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King sighed, and looked at her in the eyes. “You are crying for a single, simple. And utterly obvious reason, you old hag.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are ya calling an…?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You miss her,” King cut her, picking up the notebook from the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Luz’s sketchbook. King walked away, not looking at her, and Eda was left alone, the stupid drawing in her hands, the stupid tears rolling down her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the stupid pain of being alone eating her alive inside out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just another day in the routine of the Owl House since Luz left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll say you did an amazing job Luz,” Marcus told her while placing the newly born unicorn next to her mother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz didn’t want to have to do that </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>again!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y…Y-Yeah…” she muttered, still washing her hands. “but there was… so much… blood…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus patted her back, laughing maybe a bit too hard. “Well, that’s a birth for you, anyway, we should probably head back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh? But it’s not even due time…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are exhausted and being honest, the family that paid for this asked me to take care of it for the whole day, so you are pretty much done here,” he explained, “Go to the town and help Aaron with the store, please? I think he had a delivery today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz thought about contradicting him. But then she heard the baby unicorn throw up and… and there was no way she could keep up with that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Luz was then walking down the streets of Bonesborough with the anvil of Aaron store on and looking at the list Marcus just lent her. Even when the delivery was supposed to get them all the things they needed to sell, Luz was trusted with the things they needed for the story itself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I need four sacrificial knives and six holy hammers…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, reading the list and looking around. “Should be easy...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She froze at that voice, turning slowly to look at the person.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King was standing next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz!” King said, dropping the paper bag full of vegetables that he’d been carrying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz felt the hug against her legs taking her balance away from her. She almost fell over, her eyes going to the little figure that climbed until it was in her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t miss you at all,” King said, rubbing his head with hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz wanted to scream at the cute contradiction the demons was. “I missed you too buddy,” Luz said laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took him and held him with both hands before she got him closer, hugging him. Luz separated from him and scratched under his chin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing here Luz?” King asked, “and what’s with the outfit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked down, the anvil of ‘Park’s Park’ was still perfect, thankfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m on my way to work,” she said, and looked at the bag King was carrying before. “And you? The mighty King of demons is getting groceries?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The happy expression on his face was gone with just those words. King sighed and motioned Luz to put him down, she did as he wanted, and King got the bag again, never looking up to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say, Luz…” King said after a few seconds. “…Won’t you come with me to the stand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The stand? That would mean…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Eda…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…I… I’m sorry King… I don’t think I can…” Luz said, looking away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was expecting something like that…” King said, “It was good seeing you Luz… could I… could I visit you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz's eyes went wide at the sudden request and she wanted to hit herself. She had completely forgotten about King when she left the ‘Owl house’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was a bad friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“King, why are you asking?” She said, kneeling. “My awesome teacher of demonology and my ‘boo-boo’ buddy can always visit me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King looked up to her and giggled. “OK; then I’ll go see you in that store some other day!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be waiting!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King laughed and smiled at her in his weird mouthless way, starting to stroll away. Luz watched him stopped though, the little demon turned just a little and looked at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Luz…” he said over the noise of the street. “Eda misses you too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And having said that, King disappeared entering the side streets. Luz stood there for a few seconds, she flinched and looked down to her hands, she had hurt her palm with her nails. Processing the entire conversation wasn’t easy, uh? Luz shook her head when everything caught up with her. She had been gone from the ‘Owl House’ for a week, imposing herself on Willow’s family and cutting ties with Eda.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All over the fact of Eda keeping a secret… more or less.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hand went to her bracelet. The world now seemed a bit darker. She shook her head and turned away. Eda lied to her, she put her in danger and when Luz tried to help, to show her she could be there for her Eda just pushed her away!!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz was not wrong about it, she was not…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luz, could you please do a delivery?” Aaron asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz took the bag from the man’s hands and walked out of the store. School hours had ended a few minutes ago and the streets were overflowing with people. She smiled at the sight of many demonic beings running from one place to the other, wherever they needed to go, they really needed to be there in time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Traffic is the same, no matter how the world changes…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, taking a turn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And almost crashing with somebody.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry!” Luz said, balancing the bag in her hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Watch it, will you?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz looked up to the person, finding yellow eyes and teal hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Amity?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Luz?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, color Luz surprised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” Amity asked, before looking at her attire. “You… you work?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz nodded, looking down to her anvil. “Yep, I’ve been staying at Willows, and since I can’t go to school, I’ve been helping with the store and at the vet!” A shiver ran through her spine at the memory of her first task of the day. “Some… some days are better than others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…I see…” Amity said, moving a lock of hair behind her ear, “wait, what happened with your parents…? Oh, are you staying with Willow because they learned you went to see Hexside?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz eyes went wide at the question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Right, Amity doesn’t know…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, sighing and changing her weight from one feet to the other, she nodded. “It… it’s not because of that, don’t worry,” she said, “we just… we had a fight, and I couldn’t stay there anymore…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She saw Amity move closer by the rear of her eye. “Are… you, OK?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No not really,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought. “Yeah, I’m fine! Thanks for asking thou.” Luz looked over Amity, the stand from where she must have come out called her attention. “Were you buying abomination material, by any chance?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, actually, I just finished,” Amity said, looking at her bag. “Why do you ask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was considering trying it out!” Luz said, her voice a bit brighter than before. “You know, with Willow changing tracks, her books on abominations are kinda forgotten in her room, so… I’ve been reading, like, a lot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s nice! Well, I-I mean. I think is nice for you to try it out,” Amity responded, brushing aside a lock of her hair. “So you want to make… what, kind of abomination?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to go with a humanoid one, I mean, it isn't… doesn’t look all that complicated! Yeah, that,” Luz corrected herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She just needed to let the cat out of the bag right there, that would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it is a bit complex, look at Willow, she just got it right on her last day in the track.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I saw it when I got there with Bump, the abomination could’ve used more slime drops though.” Luz closed her eyes and tried to remember just how much of the sticky thing she had used at that time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opening her eyes, Luz found Amity frowning in her direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm? What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know about Willow's abomination lacking slime drops?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, uh.. Willow told me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Amity pressured, “because she gave the list to the teacher and got a look at it, the measures were perfect.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She just had a hunch?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amity crossed her arms. “That would’ve been the case, but Willow said she was pretty happy with her work that time… she almost seemed</span>
  <em>
    <span> surprised </span>
  </em>
  <span>with how good it was…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you know how it is, you just can’t be ready for success!” Luz said, smiling maybe a bit too much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah… I guess…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, I have to go! This delivery won’t do itself! Wait, could they do themselves…? Argh, no time for this!” Luz moved past Amity and started to run. “Good seeing ya!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t wait for any kind of response Amity could’ve tried to give her. The teal haired witch was resulting to be more cunning than what Luz might have expected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She just had to go and leak a very important piece of information in her perfect heist!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She doesn’t have a reason to look into it, let’s just forget about it!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, slowing down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She just needed to make that delivery and she’ll go back to her routine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just that…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t sell anything that day. Her mind still wondering between the drawing Luz made and left behind and how empty and… </span>
  <em>
    <span>suffocating </span>
  </em>
  <span>the house felt without her in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King wasn’t helping either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little idiot had come back wearing a satisfied expression and refused to tell her the reason. She didn’t inquired that much, but the stupid smirk on his face had gone from slightly irritating to a whole new level of visual torture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why did he look so happy when she was a disaster of bad emotions?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“OK, spill will ya?” Eda snapped when they had exited the woods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” King asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you try to play dumb! You’ve been smirking that stupid way since we left the stand, and it’s not your ‘happy to go back to sleep’ face, you are hiding something from me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what if I am?” King asked, crossing his little paws.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you are going to spill it, or so help e titan I’ll-!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw Luz.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda’s rage died in that moment, her entire brain stopped moving for a second. “Uh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw Luz, talked to her a bit, too, she seemed to be doing fine,” King continued, restarting his walk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha…? Hey, wait!” Eda catches up to him. “What do you mean with ‘talked a bit’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just that, I saw her and we chatted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda gaped at the nonchalant tone. “And she didn’t say-?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She is not coming back,” King cut her, “not yet, at least.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That… hurt, surprisingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you really asking that?” King shot back, “you not only lied to her, when she accepted that, you said it wasn’t important for her to know, and when she tried to tell you she wanted to help, you basically spit on her face!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda stayed silent at that jab, he was right, no use trying to lie about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So yeah, I won’t be expecting her around for a while,” King said when they reached the door. “Open up, Hooty!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Password please!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to burn you until your ashes are crispy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Correct!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda didn’t give a second thought to that and entered the house after King.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So the kid is gone for good? Never coming back?” Eda asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King stopped on the stairs, he looked… concentrated, deep in thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but she… I think she misses this place,” King said finally, “but she doesn’t feel like she is welcome anymore… I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not welcome?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King sighed and looked at her. “If you can’t see it, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>it is </span>
  </em>
  <span>better if Luz doesn’t come back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What? What in the seven hells was the stupid fur-ball saying?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take a nap,” King cut her thoughts, “try thinking a little from Luz perspective, if you want her back that badly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>her back!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Repeat it until you believe it,” King said, turning his back on her. “Throwing away the drawing could be a good start.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda is alone again, and her mind can’t keep up. Did King just… beat her? In a </span>
  <em>
    <span>verbal </span>
  </em>
  <span>discussion? Without screaming?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“There is something wrong with me…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, running a hand through her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The feeling of paper stopped her, and she sighed, getting the folded drawing out. The image was still relatively intact, even with the few stains of tears that had dotted the paper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Should she let go of it and forget about Luz?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s something she would do… and still…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda repressed a scream and got the drawing back to its place in her hair, walking up stairs. She needed a nap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her feet, contrary to her desires, decided to guide her to Luz’s room door. She stared at it for a few minutes, not daring to move, she had a feel that it wouldn’t end well for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just move on Edalyn…” she whispered, “you don’t have to keep this up, is just a kid! Ya have dealt with worse…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her little pep talk didn’t help her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda took a couple of deep breaths before she moved her hand... and finally opened the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was exactly the same as the last time Luz was there, the only difference? There wasn’t a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz </span>
  </em>
  <span>to give life to the place that time. Eda stared at the posters of that stupidly flowery book, the lights the kid placed all over the room. She also saw her sleeping bag and a lot of pillows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda could picture Luz placing everything in the right spot so it’ll be all messy and still in some kind of chaotic order.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She walked a little further in, and her mind reminded her of the events that led to that room being in that state.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“You aren’t more than a freeloader!”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had said that, when the kid just wanted to help. Eda had broken all the possible connections with those six words. With that phrase Eda had also broken little Luz heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She screwed up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No wonder why she won’t come back….” She whispered, running her hand over a table. “I wouldn’t either…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda sighed and took a seat at the table, looking at the place. She could still see Luz, if she tried. The kid placing the posters, doing magic or just reading, playing with King and even talking nonsense, all those were easy things to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Eda whispered. “…I do miss the kid…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hand went to her hair, taking the drawing again Eda looked at the image. Luz smiling, King cheering… and her, she was smirking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was happy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh Kiddo… I’m sorry…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you should tell her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda jumped to her feet and looked at the door, King and Hooty were in the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were ya two spying me?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King laughed and walked up to her. “Not spying if you leave the door open, now, what was that you said?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say anything!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure, then I guess we should start cleaning this place,” King said, “Hooty, help tear up the posters.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Eda shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King smirked at her. “Why not? Luz is not coming back, and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>miss her, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda glared at the little demon. How comes he was that smart then but not when she needed him to help with a heist?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it was because of Luz.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda let out a scream and sighed. “OK, you are right, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>miss </span>
  </em>
  <span>the kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t hear you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss Luz titan damn it, would ya stop it?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King laughed in her face, the little-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was going to get revenge on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“OK, now that that’s settled,” King said, “tomorrow we know what we have to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah? We do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we are going to look out for Luz!” King walked up to her. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>are going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>apologize </span>
  </em>
  <span>to her. Also, ask her to come back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eda, she doesn’t want to come back because she thinks you don’t want her here,” King said, “you need to tell her otherwise, or we may never get her back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… Argh, I hate you talking logically…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glad to beat you, also.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King held out his paw, showing her the pass the Emperor’s soldier left her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better if you keep that with you. It could save our lives since the emperor’s coven will be around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eda stared at the demon, moving her eyes for the pass to the little fur ball’s face multiple times before she let out a huge sigh, and then started laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>think when you want to, don’t ya?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t’ mock the King of demons!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amity Blight was </span>
  <em>
    <span>effective </span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She did all in the perfect way, getting all in the right course of action so all of it was valuable and </span>
  <em>
    <span>correct.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was a winner, she had been doing all to be the best, and nobody was going to ever take that away from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to be the best…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So that’s why she was looking at her notes, and running over in her head what she remembered from Willow’s in the last abomination class. The images she got were the ones of a decent abomination, her teacher and the surprise on Willows’ face when</span>
  <em>
    <span> her </span>
  </em>
  <span>abomination. The disbelief, the surprise… There was something amiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The  abomination on itself was amiss, the entire thing just was too good. And things that are too good to be true tended to not be true at all…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Slime drops…” Amity read in her books, “this ingredient is optional since the use of it can ruin the abomination if the magic placed on getting all the materials together needs to be in resonance…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amity stopped. There was no way Willow would be able to make something like that. Her magic was—with plants at least—too strong. She wouldn’t have been able to do something so precise…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But someone else…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“It could’ve used some more slime drops.”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It… It can’t be.” Amity shook her head and stood up from her desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luz couldn’t have done it, she wasn’t even a student, she couldn’t know how to make an abomination to begin with!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she had been with Willow that morning. The only morning Willow had been late…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only time she had an abomination that worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…I was so stupid…” She growled. “I trusted that… that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faker, liar… </span>
  <em>
    <span>cheater…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You stupid…” Amity said, covering her eyes with her hand. “you can’t choose your friends well, not even once, can you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Amity would not deal with Luz, she couldn’t have people who moved around the world treating effort and hard work like something optional.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was a Blight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d just have to act like one act like one.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And we build up the tension!<br/>This time I'm gonna have you considering many things, and one of them is Eda's crying scene, while I'm gonna be exposing a lot in the next chapter, do you have theories or something like that? Let me know! As always I'll answer questions as long they don't hit the spoilers bar!<br/>Easy things to know, next chapter we get Lilith! And also one of the things I loved the most writing!<br/>Anyway, that would be all for today ppl! Hope you liked it and you'll be here next week too!<br/>G_U out, peace~</p>
<p>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Family Ties - Part one: Covention/Her Name Is</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz and Eda's issues remain unresolved, with Covention just about to happen. What is destiny preparing for this world wandering teen and the infamous criminal?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Halloween!<br/>Ths day was already a nightmare of horror. I had to face a blackout! While I was editing this chapter! Nightmare! But here it is, as promised!<br/>I want to point out that the "Avatar, the legend of the owl lady" also got an update, for people who missed it!<br/>Anyway, today we deal with many things! And I dare to say, some of them are going to be heave, so please! Read with care!<br/>This chapter is rated higher than the other by a graphic description of injuries and mentions of blood, so please, please, please!!!<br/>Be careful and consider yourselves warned!<br/>Disclaimer: The owl House does not belong to me nor do the characters, this story is purely made for the act of entertainment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Something earned is almost always more valuable than something given.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>But something given with love, will always be invaluable”</em> </b>
</p><p>“Why is everything here on fire?!”</p><p>“Not my fault!”</p><p>Luz’s ears perked at the noise coming out of the store. She was in the middle of fixing some boxes of frog meat when the door opened to show no one else but Willow followed closely by Gus, both had ashes on their faces and clothes.</p><p>“Whoa, what happened to you guys?” Luz asked, placing the box down. “No, no, no! Let me guess… It involved fire?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s not important,” Willow said, “what’s important is that today something amazing is happening!”</p><p>Luz smiled at them while Gus fought with his bag, taking out what she considered was a poster, maybe a flyer?</p><p>“Is the annual Covention!” Willow said when they finally unfold the thing.</p><p>Luz looked at the poster, reading the message. “Coven… what?”</p><p>“Is the one day all witches get to see all the Covens before they’re placed in one!” Willow explained. “This year they’ll even have a mystery guest!”</p><p>“We have to go!” Gus added, jumping in his place.</p><p>“Is like a job fair for witches!” Luz smiled. “<em> I’m sure Eda would hate to go there…” </em> She thought, taking the flyer.</p><p>“We can still get to the first hours of it if we go now!” Gus said, “but we have to move!”</p><p>“Oh, sorry guys, my turn is due ‘till three hours later-”</p><p>“You can go, Luz.”</p><p>Luz turned and found Aaron smiling at her. The man moved to take the box she had placed aside a minute ago.</p><p>“You are working here for your own choice, don't worry much about it and have some fun,” he said, smiling softly at her. “Besides, I don’t have much to do since you came, this will help me get ready for the rest of the day.”</p><p>“A… A-Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes Luz, I am, now go, kids need to have fun every time they can.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Park!”</p><p>Willow got next to Luz holding her by the arm. “Thanks, dad!”</p><p>“All for my little pumpkin and her friends,” he responded, “now, off you go, you are already late, aren’t you?”</p><p>“He is right!” Gus said, taking Luz and Willow’s hands. “let’s move!”</p><p>Luz is pulled out of the store with barely enough time to let the anvil behind and losing herself in the sea of people in the streets.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Eda is sure she never had hated something so much as she was doing.</p><p>“Are you sure is this way?” she asked, sighing.</p><p>“Don’t doubt my senses!”</p><p>“Can’t believe we are following your nose!”</p><p>Eda had to dive her head after saying that.</p><p>The market had never been so empty, and yet, she could feel some glares on her back, from the people looking for something interesting to do when they didn’t find the event that just so happened to be taking place stimulating enough.</p><p>Eda was one of those, usually.</p><p>But in that moment she was following King’s stupid tail to try to find Luz. She even had an apology in mind! And a gift! Even the titan must be surprised with her actions. Edalyn Clawthorne asking—begging, but she was never going to accept that—for forgiveness from a <em> kid </em>.</p><p><em> "What haves my life come to?" </em>She thought, sighing and keeping up with the little demon.</p><p>“Hey, I think I smell here there!” King said, running faster towards a building.</p><p>“Ya’re not on your own!”</p><p>Eda shouted after him.</p><p>She jogged a little, she had to give the stupid demon that he was fast when he wanted to.</p><p>The place was small, filled with a lot of shelves filled with multiple basics. Eda looked around with a skeptical eye; she couldn’t trust many of those places, generally speaking. Most of them sold things under the presumption of being something with a higher value or another kind of ingredients to boost the price.</p><p>Scammers, but not the ones proud of being it.</p><p>“Welcome, what are you looking-? Eda?”</p><p>You could’ve expected her to be savage at someone recognizing her, but the man who talked was awfully familiar, so Eda walked a bit closer and got a hand to her chin and studied him. He smiled at her nervously and cough in his hand, whipping his glasses the second later.</p><p>That helped.</p><p>“Aaron?” she finally asked.</p><p>He nodded, smiling. “I’m glad you recognized me, or that would’ve been awkward.”</p><p>“I couldn’t forget the best healer in class!” Eda said while letting out a laugh. “You patched me up more than once to hide it from Lily.”</p><p>“Those were fun days,” he said, laughing too, “in any case, what are you doing here? You are not about to rob me are you?”</p><p>“Hey, I may like petit theft, but I don’t steal from friends… much.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t expect less from you. Still, you haven’t answered my question.”</p><p>Eda sighed. “Where was this sharp guy when Marcus practically drooled for you?”</p><p>“Waiting, I guess, now I have a kid, that helps making the ‘sharpness’ work.”</p><p>“So you got compromised then? Congrats, I guess.” Eda smiled at him. “I’m actually… looking for someone.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Don’t be so surprised, will ya?”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry, is just, you never looked out for nobody but…”</p><p>“Yeah, don’t remind me…”</p><p>Aaron placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “What happened?”</p><p>“… I screwed up,” Eda admitted, “and I hurt this person, really bad.”</p><p>King got between them at the moment. “Horribly!”</p><p>“Shut it!” Eda made a spell and sent him to the door. “Wait outside!”</p><p>“You can’t make me!”</p><p>“You’ll have to bathe Hooty if you set a foot inside the store!”</p><p>King opened his mouth, but closed it shortly after, not saying anything, he sat on the outside. Eda suppressed a laugh, the same as Aaron.</p><p>“I’m surprised you got a pal,” Aaron commented, “who is he?”</p><p>“The king of demons,” Eda said smiling, “more like the cutest of them.”</p><p>“Can’t discuss that.” Aaron stopped laughing and took his glasses off. “So… this person?”</p><p>Eda let her laugh died slowly, looking down. She wasn’t sure if she could discuss Luz, Aaron may be a friend, but that didn’t change the fact that Luz situation was beyond normal, even in the boiling isles. She could maybe trust him… but what if Luz didn’t accept her apology and stayed away? Aaron and Luz would be in danger with that information running around.</p><p><em> "No way I’m allowing that." </em> Eda thought. “Is someone… special, I guess?”</p><p>“So, another boyfriend? Or is a girlfriend this time?”</p><p>“Ugh, no relationships for me right now, my life is complicated enough.” Eda grimaced. “‘Sides I’m done with guys for a lifetime, thanks.”</p><p>“No taken, I was lucky I found the right one.”</p><p>“Not here for sappy stories… today,” she said, smiling, “This person is important to me Aaron, and I need to apologize.”</p><p>Aaron sighed and moved to a corner, coming back with some flowers, giving them to her.</p><p>“What is this for?” Eda asked, looking at the plants.</p><p>Aaron smiled. “You are Edalyn Clawthorne, the girl who refused to apologize to her sister when breaking her glasses,” he said, “if you are apologizing, might as well do it big, don’t you think?”</p><p>Eda stared at him and then at the flowers. She didn’t hide the smile on her face or the little laugh that just so happened to escape her lips.</p><p>“I’ll take them then, but don’t expect me to pay for it!”</p><p>“Wouldn’t have it any other way!” Aaron told her while she walked to the door. “I hope you can get all fixed with this person!”</p><p>“Thanks!”</p><p>King jumped on her when she walked out. “Finally! What were you doing? Getting along with an Ex?!”</p><p>“First, not my ex, second, he is gay, third, he is married, fourth, what’s with you? You weren’t this worked up ten minutes ago!”</p><p>“I found her trace!”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I know where Luz went, come on!”</p><p>And with that scream Eda sighed, placing the flower in her hair and running behind the demon.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Amity is sure she doesn’t really need to be in the Covention for her choice of what she’ll be doing at the end of school.</p><p>She has all planned after all.</p><p>But getting away from home is always a good reason to get inside the building with all the other Hexside students.</p><p>She was walking by the less-visited covens when she heard it.</p><p>“Come on Luz, you can do better than that!”</p><p>“No, I can’t, and I don’t want to!!”</p><p>“Don’t be a coward!!”</p><p>She had stopped walking and moved closer to the sound. Even when she didn’t care—because she didn’t, not even a bit—her mind forced her to look. She found a group of three playing with the fashion coven special sewing machine.</p><p>They looked like knuckleheads trying to sew Luz hoodie with a pair of long sleeves… and yet, they seemed to be having…</p><p>
  <em> Fun. </em>
</p><p>Amity looked at them until the two Hexside students decided that it was enough trying to change Luz’s clothes style.</p><p><em> "They are so weird…" </em> She thought with a sight.</p><p>Just why had she stayed looking at them so long?</p><p>The image of the three of them smiling came back and she greeted her teeth, getting a hand to her chest while she shook her head and walked along to the main room of the building, she might as well get to her seat already, the presentation should be starting soon enough.</p><p>She didn’t have to think of those cheaters' smiles.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz was having fun, surprisingly enough.</p><p>Willow and Gus had been pulling her—quite literally—from one coven stand to the other without leaving her any window to even breathe without them making her smile.</p><p>Her friends were good people.</p><p>“Luz? What happened?” Willow asked, moving her arm a bit, Luz's hands were still wrapped around it.</p><p>“Hugh?”</p><p>Gus held one of her hands. “You are crying.”</p><p>Luz opened her eyes a bit more and moved the hand she could and reached for her face, wet trails were covering her cheeks and she could now feel a small drop leaving her right eye.</p><p>“W…W-What…?” She whispered a sob coming midway.</p><p>“Luz, are you OK?” Willow asked again.</p><p>She didn’t felt like talking was an option.</p><p>“Let’s moved her to a bench,” Gus suggested.</p><p>They pulled her along once more, this time they didn’t stop in the games some covens held nor to take any gifts. Luz was a bit calmer when they finally got to a bench next to the windows outside.</p><p>“So-sorry for making all this weird, guys…” Luz said, “I just had to make something to ruin the moment event for you guys…” Luz sighed when she sat, looking up to them. “You can go and have fun, I’ll be fine in a minute or so…”</p><p>“Nonsense,” Gus said, “we don’t care for the event, Luz.”</p><p>“Yeah, we come each year,” Willow added, “is not like there <em> is </em>something new, just the mystery guest will be a change.”</p><p>Luz stared at them both. “B…B-But you were so excited about it…”</p><p>“Well, duh, is your first Covention, right?” Gus answered, “Willow told me you had… peculiar circumstances? Yeah, well, and that you never came to one of these.”</p><p>“So we wanted to show you,” Willow said, sitting next to her, “you are always talking of those times in the human world, you even gave Gus some of those pictures!”</p><p>“Which I love and cherish.”</p><p>“And you help me studying, also, you hang out with us, always making sure <em> we </em> have a good time, even when you don’t seem to enjoy it.”</p><p>Luz stared at Willow that time. She had been going out with the two witches when her shifts on the vet and the shop finished. They always had fun, walking around the marked and playing some weird game from the boiling isles, even before the deal with Eda she had gone out with them one time, and it had been fun!!</p><p>…But….</p><p>Luz hadn’t liked some of the things they did, not like they went and attacked demons. But tailing Gus to a 'Human Bazar' or looking at flowers to hear their descriptions for half an hour with Willow… Luz loved to spend time with them, she really did.</p><p>But there were things she didn’t like to do.</p><p><em> "So why didn’t I say anything?" </em> She thought, looking at her hands.</p><p>The answer came with flashes of her suggesting things to the people back in the human realm, all of them saw her as weird, boring… a freak. Each and all of her suggestions to hang out always got rejected.</p><p>Because she was a freak, a weirdo with nothing in common with no one…</p><p>“Luz,” Willow’s voice made her react and look at her, “we are friends, you know that, right?”</p><p>“O-Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”</p><p>Gus took her other hand. “Sometimes, you act like you are scared.”</p><p>“Scared? What?! No, I-!”</p><p>“Luz,” Willow interrupted her, “you can tell us if we are too much.”</p><p>“Or if something is bothering you,” Gus followed.</p><p>“We are here because we want to hang out with you, it doesn’t always have to be something <em> we </em>want to do.”</p><p>“Yeah, I mean, we pulled you around not because we wanted to do those things.”</p><p>Luz moved her head to look at Gus and then to Willow multiple times. “No?”</p><p>“No!” Willow said, giggling, “we wanted <em> you </em> to do them!”</p><p>“M…M-Me?”</p><p>“Hell yeah, you’ve been working so much lately, you deserve some fun too!!” Gus said, pointing to the front. “And Covention was the best, biggest choice.”</p><p>“We can go somewhere else if you want, the mystery guest will be shown in penstagram anyway,” Willow offered. “So, tell us, Luz…”</p><p>Gus stood up and smiled down at her. “What do you want to do?”</p><p>Luz looked at her friends, a slight warm rising slowly through her body and making her shiver. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, she was crying already, what damage could some other tears make?</p><p>She was such a cry baby lately. Maybe because…</p><p><em> "Eh! It was that then?" </em> Luz thought, her mind finally registering it all.</p><p>She was happy, just… so much happy.</p><p>“Thank you, guys…” Luz whispered, letting go of both and rubbing her face with her hands, “I’m OK now.”</p><p>“…Really?” Willow asked.</p><p>“Yeah!!” Luz said, standing up, “I’m just so glad to have you as my friends!!” Luz got a hand through her hair. “Truth is… I never had much… any, friends back in the human realm… and with studying at home I never had many here, either… so, thank you, really, for putting up with me.”</p><p>“OK, stop it!” Gus said, groaning.</p><p>“Ah?”</p><p>“Luz, you need to stop that!” Willow said this time, standing up too.</p><p>“Yeah girl, we are not ‘putting up’ with you!” Gus raised both hands and used magic to make the air quotes more real. “You are our friend, our pal!”</p><p>Willow took her hand and Gus’ smiling. “We <em> like </em>hanging out with you! So please stop treating this like you are placing a burden on us.”</p><p>Luz laughed that time, shaking her head and pulling Gus and Willow closer she trapped them in a hug.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry… I… I’ll try, OK?” she said, letting them go.</p><p>“It’ll be a start, yeah,” Gus said.</p><p>“Now, let us enjoy ourselves!” Willow practically sang.</p><p>Luz fist-pumped the air. “Let’s go!”</p><p>Luz and co did run the rest of their free time after that. Jumping from little coven to little coven and playing with all the things they could—and some hey shouldn’t have—while listening all the talks. The illusionists were Gus' style of coven, adding showmanship to the arts of lying to your senses, Luz saw a guy using something like her bracelet to get a staff and creating illusions that were not only good to look at, but also had voices and were able to hold a dance.</p><p>It was only the beginning.</p><p>The bard coven made a concert with music that you could also see more than just hear, the construction coven showed great sculptors and new houses designs built up in seconds. Plant and beast keeping covens made presentations of rare specimens and items—they had to stop there for Willow to show appreciation for a great carnivore purple rose—while the potions coven showed their new creations and the oracles coven offered free readings for the rest of the day.</p><p>Which had led them to the line where they were standing.</p><p>“I’m so excited!” Luz was jumping in her place, practically spinning. “In the human realm people offered to do this in some event, but it was never legit, this time I’m sure is true!!”</p><p>Gus sighed. “Each time I come they tell me I’ll be the best version of myself and I never know if it’s true…”</p><p>“I never really liked to know,” Willow commented, “knowing the future makes it a bit… weird when it happens.”</p><p>“I guess you two would feel like that, but this is amazing!!”</p><p>Luz turned when the person in front of her finished, the entry to the tent opening for her. Luz sent a wave to her friends before getting in. A student with a head with two amazing horns and a single blue eye smiled at her, pointing to a seat.</p><p>“Neat.”</p><p>The girl smiled at her. “Welcome, fellow student, what do you wish to know?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m…” Luz stopped herself, what point was negating something like that? “I would like to know how my day is looking?”</p><p>The girl smiled once again and placed both hands in the sphere. “Then see, we shall…”</p><p>Luz saw a spirit getting out of the crystal ball, the entity flew around the room for a few seconds before diving into Luz's chest. She felt a sudden rush of energy and seconds later, it was gone. The spirit returned to the ball and the girl looked at it.</p><p>“You shall face many hardships today… you have already passed one, but the other two will prove to be more challenging…”</p><p><em> "Not really encouraging." </em>Luz thought, looking at the crystal ball.</p><p>“You have the strength, the determination, and the power… but you lack discipline and imagination…”</p><p>“…I thought this was fortune-telling, no lecturing…” Luz muttered.</p><p>“Your heart is ready for the challenge, so you’ll find peace… if you are willing to look for it…” The girl then looked at her. “Now, you can see three people you’ll meet today if you want.”</p><p>“Oh? That does sound cool, le’me see, le’me see!!”</p><p>Luz stared at the crystal ball with shining eyes. She saw the first person, being a woman with blue hair and blue eyes. She wore a tunic and a cape. The second was, surprisingly, Amity, but her face… she looked mad, even… hurt?</p><p>And there was the last person.</p><p>“No… no…” Luz said shivering.</p><p>“I’m sorry, but you are bound to see them today…”</p><p>Luz stood up and shook her head. “Thank you... I…I-I have to go!”</p><p>She rushed out of the tent, not stopping to even see Gus or Willow. They called out for her, But Luz didn’t turn back, she kept on running.</p><p>The image of an enraged Eda chasing her in her head.</p><p>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz’s feet took her much farther away than she thought. Seeing Eda—mad, a mad Eda—was a huge blow to her self-control and mental stability.</p><p>‘That night’ still repeated in her head each night for god sake!!!</p><p>She needed air, and fast.</p><p>So she ran, avoiding all collisions possible to the opposite exit of the building, for her disgrace, there seemed to be quite the people going that way. So it was unavoidable for her to crash at some point. She would’ve liked it if it happened <em> outside </em>the building though.</p><p>She hit a body, and the momentum was too much for the other person to bear.</p><p>So she was now on the ground, trying to check if she hadn’t broken anything so far when she faced an—maybe—all too well teal hair and golden eyes.</p><p>“A-Amity!” Luz greeted her, standing up and offering her a hand. “Fancy seeing you here!”</p><p>Great, she was going directly into the stupid fortune telling! Willow was right, Luz wasn’t a fan anymore.</p><p>Amity stared at her, sighing after a few seconds and standing on her own. “So, it’s just you Luz.”</p><p><em> "Rude </em>." Luz though. “So… how is it going?”</p><p>“Cut it, will you?” Amity said, crossing her arms. “I don’t want anything to do with you or the likes of you.”</p><p>“What? What are you talking about?”</p><p>“You know what you did.”</p><p>“No, I don’t,” Luz responds, closing her fists. “Now what is your deal?”</p><p>Amity stayed silent for a minute, looking at her directly in the eyes as if she was trying to dig something out. She sighed after it, apparently not finding what she looked for.</p><p>“I don’t hang with people who don’t understand the hard work, if you get it, don’t mess with me.”</p><p>Luz was struck by a wave of rage at her words. That <em> she didn’t understand </em> hard work?</p><p>Oh, no.</p><p>“Wait just a second.” Luz took Amity’s wrist, stopping her from walking away. “I don’t know your problem, but I’m <em> not </em> letting you go making assumptions about me!”</p><p>Amit flapped her hand away, facing her. “I’m not making assumptions about anything!”</p><p>“Yes, you are!” Luz shouted, “for your information, everything, and I mean <em> everything </em> I have I got by working hard!”</p><p>“Ja! Now that’s a joke!”</p><p>“Why are you being so mean to me?! Just what did I do to you?!”</p><p>That was the last for Amity apparently.</p><p>“You cheated!”</p><p>Luz backed off at that, her mouth hanging open.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Don’t try to play dumb with me!” Amity said, closing the distance with her. “You manipulated Willow’s abomination for her last class in the track!”</p><p>Luz had almost forgotten about it. She had changed the composition of the goo and even improved the ingredients list in Willow's pocket so nobody would suspect it.</p><p>Guess she didn’t do it pretty well.</p><p>“Aren’t you going to deny it?!” Amity shouted.</p><p>Luz looked away, which seemed to be all the answer the other girl needed.</p><p>“You… You are a cheater,” Amity said, “Willow didn’t deserve that mark.”</p><p>“Oh, stop right there!” Luz reacted. “I may have cheated for her, but that was my doing, Willow didn’t have any idea of what I did!”</p><p>“And you think that makes it better?” Amity shot back. “That just proves you are selfish!”</p><p>“I did it because she was tired of getting bad grades and <em> exhausted </em> of you mocking her for it!”</p><p>Amity backed off at that, but her rage seemed to be stronger than her shame.</p><p>“I didn’t mock her, I was encouraging her!”</p><p>Luz snickered at that. “Well, you should review your tactics, because all you did was make her feel worse! What kind of encouragement involves treating the person as stupid?!”</p><p>“You don’t get anything!”</p><p>“Of course I don’t, you don’t tell me anything!” Luz raised both hands. “I did what I did so Willow could have <em> a day </em> of peace without you talking her into being a mess! And you know what? I’ll do it again if necessary! Because Willow deserves a friend that is prepared to put herself at stake, someone prepared to sacrifice themselves for her!”</p><p>Luz's rant was cut by something. Not a word, not an explosion or a scream, she registered it after a few seconds, her head was pointing to the side, and her cheek stung her.</p><p>Amity slapped her.</p><p>Luz turned to see amity in the eyes, the teal-haired girl was glaring at her with such fire in her eyes that Luz was sure it could melt steel.</p><p>“Don’t try to tell me what Willow deserves,” Amity whispered, “I know <em> better than anyone </em>, what she is worth.”</p><p>Luz recovered from the shock at that moment and also glared at Amity. She wanted to go physical, oh so god helped her, Luz was going to be <em> feral! </em></p><p>“You know? I’m tired of you and your crap,” Luz said, “I can stand if you are mad at me, I’m used to pretty people don’t liking me, but you are <em> wrong </em> if you think I’m gonna let pass you saying Willow is worth your bullying!”</p><p>Luz raised her left arm, lightning up her bracelet.</p><p>“Amity Blight,” Luz began, smirking through her frown, “I challenge you, to witches duel.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Are you sure she is <em> here?!” </em></p><p>King sniffed the air a couple of times before nodding. “Yeah, her smell is here.”</p><p>Eda glared at the small demon before looking up.</p><p>She didn’t want to do this.</p><p>The ‘Covention’ was a place for losers who couldn’t see for themselves that the coven system was corrupted to the core. One of the few events in the whole extent of the isles she had never liked, not even in her teen or kid years.</p><p>“Why did she have to come here of all places?” Eda growled, covering her head in a hood.</p><p>“Maybe because, I don’t know, Hey! Just, and this is a hot take, she is desperate to learn magic and to get some lead in her quest?” King offered.</p><p>“Stop the passive-aggressive attitude, will ya?” Eda responded, “I already feel bad enough.”</p><p>“Good, because Luz didn’t deserve what you said.”</p><p>Eda sighed when finally getting her hair in the stupid hood. “I know.”</p><p>She had to apologize to the kid, and she needed to do it right this time.</p><p>The place was about to explode with nerds and students. All those stupid stands of covens that tried to get by with the little magic the Emperor allowed them to keep, acting like it was a <em>privilege </em>when in reality was so damn unfair; magic was a projection of someone's soul, they should have the right to use it as they pleased.</p><p>But the coven system was made to put chains to that magic.</p><p>“<em>You need to learn to control yourself with magic, but never think you’ll be able to control magic itself,</em>” Eda thought, as she passed by the illusionist coven stand and shaking her head.</p><p>“Witches and demons!” Calls a voice over the speakers. “We are happy to inform you that the Emperor’s Coven presentation is about to start, please go in order to the arena!”</p><p>Eda tensed. Her eyes went directly to the door.</p><p>She could always just go, avoid problems.</p><p>“Eda, I can feel Luz moving to the arena,” King talked, “let’s go, it’ll be easier to find her there!”</p><p>She stood there, watching him go, her body rigid. Eda couldn’t give a step in the direction of the arena even if she wanted to.</p><p>And she didn’t.</p><p>She could let this slip and go talk to Luz the next day, she could just avoid all the problems by walking away, one more day was nothing, right? Luz could understand she didn’t want to be there, she didn’t need to be there in that moment right, she could-!</p><p>Luz's tears covered face flashed in her mind.</p><p>She couldn’t do that if all was going to mean <em> anything. </em></p><p>“…What did you do to me kid?” Eda muttered, closing her fist so tight that her nails got buried in her palms.</p><p>She gave a step, then the other, pushing herself slowly but surely to the arena.</p><p>The place wasn’t as crowded as she would’ve expected it.</p><p>Eda looked around for Luz, or for her little friend. She couldn’t find the kid from up there. Moving slowly, taking special care in not attracting too much attention, Eda moved between the rows of seats. She needed to find Luz, and then get the hell out of there…</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>“I’m Luz's best friend! Now, where is she, you four-eyes!”</p><p>“First, <em> I’m </em>Luz's best friend, and second, don’t think that because you are adorable you can call me that!”</p><p>“Make him pay Willow!”</p><p>Eda turned to the left and then to the right. She found King being held down by a stocky girl with the plant track uniform, while a kid in the illusions one cheered on her.</p><p>“Eda, help!” King called her out and she closed the distance.</p><p>“Eda?” the plant girl said, raising her head.</p><p>Eda expected surprise, maybe a bit of fear, even a little admiration. Not a glare that could’ve made a vampire pale.</p><p>The girl let go of King and crossed her arms. “So you are Eda.”</p><p>“You know her Willow?” the illusions kid said.</p><p>“No Gus, but Luz talked to me about her,” the girl said, “sad to say, not many good things.”</p><p>Hearing that was like a punch to the guts for Eda, and she wasn’t sure she masked well enough. Shaking her head and biting the insides of her cheek, she steeled herself.</p><p>She was that far already.</p><p>“I need to talk to the kiddo,” she said.</p><p>“Bet you do, after those things you said,” the girl—Willow—growled back, “but sorry, Luz doesn’t have anything to talk with you.”</p><p>Eda fought back a response, she was an adult, not a pretty responsible one, but an adult nonetheless.</p><p>“I have to talk to her,” she tried again, “the kid and I have… circumstances.”</p><p>Willow scoffed at her. “I know about those ‘circumstances’, you are still not seeing her.”</p><p>“What would you know about Luz?!”</p><p>Damn, she was losing her temper.</p><p>“Let’s just say that 'half-a-witches' need to stick for one another,” the kid said, and Eda froze.</p><p>So she <em> did </em>know about it.</p><p>“Why do you care <em> now </em> anyway?” Willow asked then, “Luz has been staying in my house for a <em> week </em>, and you never, not even once, tried to go talk to her.”</p><p>Eda backed off at that.</p><p>She hadn’t been brave enough, not until King had placed all her problems on the table that morning, but she couldn’t say that, not out loud at least. She looked around, some people were staring at them, and she wanted to scream for them to mind their own businesses.</p><p>But doing so will just attract more attention.</p><p>She faced Willow again and that time she wasn't even mad, she was… happy in a twisted way. The kid was defending Luz, making sure Eda wouldn’t have the chance to hurt her again as she did.</p><p><em> "She is probably taking care of her better than I did." </em> She thought, letting out a sigh, Eda tried to think why was she doing all that.</p><p>She was free again, the kid was gone and safe with someone else that could help her, it wasn’t like Luz was lost; she was with a family, with friends that cared about her and could help her…</p><p>What could Eda give her that she wasn’t getting already anyway? What was so important to see her that day? Just to please King? Just to give herself a little peace of mind?</p><p>Why would talking to Luz give her peace of mind anyway, to begin with?!</p><p><em> "Because I care." </em> She thought, and the realization was just like being washed up by a wave on the sea.</p><p>“Listen, Kid… Willow,” Eda corrected herself, “I… I, I don’t need to talk to Luz… but I <em> want to </em>, OK?”</p><p>That made the teen stop glaring at her. “You… you do?”</p><p>“Yeah…. Look, I’m not good with people, and being fully honest I don’t know what I’m doing half of the time with the kiddo, but… but I want to apologize to her for what I said, she didn’t deserve it and… and I was wrong.”</p><p>Eda looked down, thrusting her hand in her hair and getting out the stupid note Luz forgot in her room that night.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>“Eda The Owl Lady and her great apprentice, the wandering witch Luz”</em> </strong>
</p><p>“She is more than just a freeloader…” she whispered.</p><p>Eda looked up at the teen. And she wasn’t sure if the look in the kid’s eyes was a good sign.</p><p>“OK… I’ll tell Luz,” Willow said, “but if she will talk to you is her choice, got it?”</p><p>Eda nodded, returning the note to its place. “Deal.”</p><p>Willow then smiled at her, turning to the other kid, who had been quiet all over their little exchange.</p><p>“You OK Gus?”</p><p>“Yeah… is just, did I miss something here?” the kid asked Willow back.</p><p>Before she could give a response to that, the light went down and the presentation from the Emperor’s Covent started.</p><p>Eda took a seat, not daring to leave the kids' side until she saw Luz. The presentation was just as years before; full of show and treating the magic all witches should have as something you needed to give your freedom for.</p><p>It was sickening.</p><p>“And now, is my privilege to introduce our special guest for the event!” Eda heard Bump, “the esteemed leader of the Emperor’s Covent! You know of her, you love her… Lilith Clawthorne!”</p><p><em>"You got to be kidding me!" </em>Eda though, tensing.</p><p>The giant show of magic of an entrance that happened next couldn’t have been more bothersome for her, it got even worse when she saw the figure of Lilith appear in the middle of the arena in front of all of them.</p><p>“Thank you, thank you… It wasn’t easy for me to be where I am now,” Lilith began, “I also started from humble beginnings, but never forget that magic is about hard work, talent put to test and resolution!”</p><p>Eda felt like placing her <em> resolution </em> in that face to shut her up!</p><p>“So be more, do more, the Emperor’s Covent awaits you!”</p><p>“Miss. Eda?”</p><p>Eda turned to find a pretty scared Willow hiding behind King, the other kid was on the ground.</p><p>She looked at herself, her hands were close in shivering fists, and if the pain in her face was anything to go by, she must have been frowning so hard that her owl-beast face would’ve been kinder.</p><p>“You know her? Lilith I mean…” Willow asked.</p><p>She greeted her teeth, controlling the rage as she could. “You could say that…”</p><p>“But today I’m not about to just let this end here,” Lilith continued, “one of my best pupils, my star pupils really, had reached me with a request of proving what the Emperor’s Convent is looking for!!”</p><p>“What? I wasn’t informed of this!” Bump shouted.</p><p>“It was a last-minute request principal, don’t worry. It’ll be over in a second anyway.”</p><p>Lilith summoned her staff, with a swift movement she made a spark that then covered the arena in blue light. When they could look again, two teens were standing on opposite ends of the combat area.</p><p>“Today, Amity Blight, from Hexside will have a witches duel against…”</p><p>“Luz!” Willow shouted, standing and moving to the front rows.</p><p>Luz turned and smiled at Willow, waving.</p><p>“Hey Willow!!” She said, “I’m gonna have a duel!”</p><p>Eda wanted to hit Luz so hard! How could this kid get into such situations?!</p><p>Lilith talked again. “Correct, Luz, this girl who for what I’ve heard is not in any magic school, right?”</p><p>Luz turned to Lilith and nodded.</p><p>“My family had circumstances and they were teaching me at home until I got a chance to attend a school,” the kid said, and Eda was surprised by how easily was for her to lie.</p><p>“I see, well, I hope you can keep up,” Lilith then got next to Amity and pathed her in the back, murmuring something in her ear.</p><p>Eda did not like the smile on the Blight kid.</p><p>“Now, let this witches duel begin!” Lilith said.</p><p>And hell broke loose in front of Eda’s eyes.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz rolled under the arm the giant abomination swung at her, rolling and blasting a fireball at the chest of it, the impact created an explosion and a bigger flame that seemed to hurt it, but it subsided right after.</p><p>She didn’t even scratch it!</p><p>“OK, this might be a…” she dashed aside, avoiding a stomp, “bit out of my league!”</p><p>Luz rushed to a wall, she concentrated on the ice glyph, casting the spell a few meters ahead, she jumped, an ice pillar growing under her. She looked back, still with the massive abomination hot in her heels.</p><p>No time for hesitation.</p><p>Luz jumped again, casting the ice spell once more. That time the pillar was higher, and then again, higher and higher!</p><p>She was over the abomination’s head in no time.</p><p>“You think that was a good choice?!” Amity shouted from the ground, “Abomination, crush the ice!”</p><p><em> "She just had to go for the ice right away!" </em> Luz thought, kneeling on the top of her standpoint.</p><p>The structure was high and pretty, but not sturdy, the ice gave in like thin paper and Luz was then in a free fall, her only solid point of support being the ice shard she was holding to. She looked at the abomination while falling and jumped towards it, using the ice spell for impulse, she managed to get higher again.</p><p>Then, she used the fire glyph.</p><p>Luz blasted continuous fireballs while falling; each impact made a new explosion, the shockwaves made cinders fly towards her, and she almost lost concentration when one got to her left leg, making her bite her lip to keep herself from screaming.</p><p>“What is she doing?!”</p><p>Was that…?</p><p>Amity’s voice resonated through the arena. “Abomination, catch her!”</p><p>Luz didn’t have the time to get lost in thought!</p><p>The abomination hand reached her before she was too close to the floor. Luz fought against the grip of the creature, managing to get her left arm out.</p><p>“I’m not letting you make a spell!” Amity shouted. “Abomination!”</p><p>The thing <em> threw </em> her, the sudden motion taking away her concentration. Luz was flying towards the audience. She closed her eyes and sent her magic to the plant glyph. There was a cracking sound and she crashed into something soft.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>Luz opened her eyes at Amity’s shout, a leaf fell on her nose and she looked down, she was in a tree branch, looking back she saw a few members of the audience on the ground, looking at the wall from where the thing had burst from.</p><p>“How…?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter what kind of tricks you pull out, I’ll beat you!” Amity screamed, “Abomination!”</p><p>Luz saw the abomination take its head off and threw it in her direction. She raised her hand, the fire glyph lit up and a fireball came out of her hand.</p><p>The explosion was big that time, the head of the abomination fell to the ground, making the entire place shake for a second. Luz smiled, trying to get an angle to shoot at the main body…</p><p>And the branch she was on gave in. She was falling… <em> again </em>.</p><p>Running energy through the glyphs; Luz saw a new ice pillar came up.</p><p>It didn’t stop her fall that well.</p><p>Luz hit the ice <em> hard, </em>and rolled down from it; she met the ground with a loud impact, facedown.</p><p>Painful would be the only way to describe it, and her nose had made an ugly sound.</p><p>Groaning she tried to stand up, her legs were shaking too much, and her middle felt like she just landed in a pile of needles.</p><p><em> "Bad choice… and definitely a broken nose…" </em> Luz thought, coughing. “My mind is so… fuzzy…” Looking up she saw the branch of the tree still in place. “Did it crack with the explosion…?”</p><p>“Quitting is still an option!” Amity said with a smug smile on her face.</p><p>Luz clenched her jaw and managed to stand up, feeling her nose. “Feel free to do so if you want!” She said, blinking to get rid of the growing tears, she looked at her hand.</p><p>No blood, so good so far.</p><p>“There is no way you’re getting out of this unscratched!”</p><p>“Neither are you, but thanks for your concern!”</p><p>Luz jumped back as the abomination closed distance, it almost smashed her and the shockwave sent her a few meters away. She looked at it once she recovered her footing. Her ice spell could hit it but the abomination body was not fully solid, the physical attack wouldn’t do anything, and she wasn’t sure she could trap it all, the plant spell was never one of her best ones, but she had managed a huge branch…</p><p>“Maybe-”</p><p>“Let’s finish this already!”</p><p>Luz turned at Amity, the witch made a new spell circle, and the abomination started to grow even bigger than before.</p><p>“You gotta be kidding me!” Luz whined, looking at the stupid thing.</p><p>It started being three and a half meters. But then it was at least ten meters high!</p><p>“Abomination!” Amity said.</p><p>“Miss. Blight, that’s enough!”</p><p>Was that Lilith? Why was she so… scared?</p><p>Amity didn’t listen to her. “End this fight!”</p><p>Luz tried to move but her left leg gave in. The giant punch was heading towards her, there was no time to dodge, nor to think a way out. She was paralyzed, frozen…</p><p>She was going to die?</p><p>…</p><p>No, she wasn’t!</p><p>Luz raised her hands, the Bracelet lit up. She couldn’t let things end like that! She concentrated all her mind, will, and power… all her being on the fire glyph.</p><p>If she couldn’t avoid it, she will deflect it… if she couldn’t deflect it… she’ll pierce through it! She wasn’t going to let things end like that!</p><p>“I’ll give it all I got in this!” Luz said, the abomination’s punch about to reach her. “So take it!”</p><p>She blasted the spell; a river of flames came out, the attack made contact with the abomination’s fist, stopping it.</p><p>Just barely…</p><p>Luz pushed more magic through the bracelet, she was sure she couldn’t’ have done something like that before, she shivered, her entire body overwhelmed by the heat.</p><p>The abomination didn’t stay like that for too long. The giant fist moved again, slowly overpowering her spell.</p><p><em> "No… Not, gonna, let, you!" </em>Luz thought, closing her eyes.</p><p>She felt a rush of power washing through her, her bracelet <em> burned </em>and she looked at it. The light of the fire glyph was brighter than ever before, and the accessory was shaking. Luz stared at it, her eyes felt different somehow too.</p><p>But that wasn’t the end of it.</p><p>Luz felt something snap inside her, the wave of power from before came again, this time bigger, wilder, <em> stronger </em>.</p><p>And it traveled from her chest to her hands.</p><p>The torrent of flames then got bigger, brighter, hotter; the flames pushed their way against the abomination, there was a little spark in her hands…</p><p>And the torrent of flames turned pure blue.</p><p>The goo that composed the abomination got turn into ashes, the flames advancing without a problem through it. Luz smiled when the thing started to disappear, looking at how it collapsed…</p><p><em> "Yes!" </em>She thought, the flames stopping.</p><p>The fire had reached the ceiling…</p><p><em> "I… Did that?" </em>Luz thought, astonished and she tried to stand again... But she couldn’t lower her hands, or stop the power flow.</p><p>She looked down in panic; her bracelet stung her, the shine of the fire glyph still there, still too bright.</p><p>She looked up, Amity was blasted away when her Abomination collapsed, the parts that didn’t burn must have hit the ground, and the expansive waves from the crash must have pushed her until she hit the wall of the arena; and yet, she was standing, glaring at Luz.</p><p>She didn’t seem ready to run.</p><p><em> “Stop… stop!” </em> Luz thought, ordering it to stop multiple times after that, she was faced with the horrible truth, making her lower her head.</p><p>She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t control it!</p><p>“No, stop! Stop!” She screamed, fighting her own body. “Stop it!”</p><p>Luz looked ahead, Amity was moving slowly, She was hurt! Luz saw her limp to one of the pieces of her fallen abomination, she was bleeding, her right arm was dripping blood!</p><p>And she didn't seem to care!</p><p>Standing on top of one of the fallen abomination parts, Amity glared at her, raising her left arm towards her.</p><p>“N…N-no!” Amity screamed, “I will not lose against you!” Amity drew a new spell circle. “Abomination, rise!”</p><p>Luz saw with horror how a new abomination appeared, absorbing the rest of the previous one and standing in front of the other, this time it was barely two meters, and Amity was sweating bullets, her face transforming by the exhaustion in an almost painful way.</p><p>She wasn't moving, not by choice.</p><p>It was painful to look at, at least for Luz.</p><p>“Amity! Dodge, please!” Luz shouted, “I can’t… I can’t control this!”</p><p>“Don’t think your stupid fire spell will be enough to stop me!” the other girl shouted. “Abomination!”</p><p>Luz saw with a mix of relief and dread how the abomination grew, three, four meters. It could maybe resist!</p><p>“Abomination! Go!” Amity shouted, and the thing started to advance towards Luz.</p><p><em> “Please, please… Stop… Stop…! Stop!” </em> Luz begged in her head. “ <em> I don’t want to hurt her...! Please... Please! ...Eda... help!” </em></p><p>And the magic stopped running. But the spell was already done.</p><p>Luz watched the spell circle appear from her hands, growing massive before closing in a little point… and then the flames came to life, not blue, nor orange, but a crimson red, the flames shaped themselves in the form of a large owl, and the projection let out a screech before diving towards Amity’s abomination.</p><p>With Amity right behind it.</p><p>Any hope Luz held of the thing resisting was useless, the mass of red fire passed through the abomination without a problem and advanced towards Amity, Luz tried to shout, but her throat had a knot, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t scream…</p><p>And the fire owl made contact, an explosion coming right after. Luz's arms finally fell to her sides, her eyes and mouth both wide open. Luz suddenly started to gag and came to her, and she threw up at her right while all over her body… no, all her <em> being </em>shivered.</p><p>Had she just…?</p><p>“Look!” Someone in the audience screamed.</p><p>Luz’s eyes darted to the mass of smoke and dust. She saw a blue, fading light.</p><p>Lilith had stepped in, blocking Luz's spell.</p><p>Luz felt the tension leaving her, and all her forces were gone once again. Amity was alright—apparently—behind Lilith, staring at her. Luz's body stopped being numb, she winced at the burning stung her left arm sent her. The bracelet was <em> hot </em> even now that it was completely devoid of the shine from before.</p><p>“I…Is Amity OK?!” She managed to scream, her voice cracked right after, and she started to cough.</p><p>When she could focus her sight, she saw Lilith nodding and helping Amity to stand, the woman looked at her, but Luz's eyes followed Amity. The girl was shivering, and Luz managed to see her face—even from the distance of nearly three meters—had gone completely pale.</p><p>But she was alive…</p><p>Luz sighed in relief, closing her eyes and lowering her head. She hadn’t killed her… she didn’t take her life…</p><p>But her relief didn’t last long.</p><p>“Guards, arrest the witchling!” Lilith ordered.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Eda snapped out of the astonishment once Luz left her breakfast and whatever else she ate on the arena’s floor.</p><p>“What in the Titan's name was that..?” she whispered, a shaking hand going to the gem in her chest.</p><p>Eda had seen massive balls of fire, sure, she had seen even bigger ones no problem. But she had never seen a kid doing it! Luz had gotten to the boiling isles just a month ago at much, how could she manage such a powerful spell?!</p><p>Moreover…</p><p>Luz was a half-witch; her bills sack should be smaller. She should have <em> less </em> power than a normal witch… and yet! The kid’s reserves seemed to be endless!</p><p>Just what was happening…?</p><p>“Guards, arrest the witchling!”</p><p>Eda reacted at Lilith's voice, looking down at the arena, she saw—horrified—how Luz was held down by two of the Emperor’s Coven men. The kid was still paralyzed from before.</p><p>“Where are they taking Luz?!” King asked, jumping on Willow’s shoulders.</p><p>“Nowhere!” Eda said, taking her hood away and calling her staff.</p><p>“Eda, wait!” she heard the teens call, but didn’t stop.</p><p>She flew down to the arena and blasted a bolt of lightning to the ground, stopping the advance of the guards; she dropped in front of them, standing between the captive Luz and Lilith.</p><p>She glared at the guards. “Let, the, kid, go!!”</p><p>“Eda…?” Luz said, looking at her with both eyes wide open.</p><p>“…Hey kiddo…”</p><p>Eda couldn’t believe it, she had thought finding Luz would be her only problem—of course, apologizing was still hard—and the kid just managed to get <em> arrested? </em></p><p>Maybe Luz did need to get away from her if she was going to pick those habits…</p><p>“Edalyn?” called her a new voice.</p><p>Eda took a couple of deep breaths before turning to face the owner of that voice. Her blue eyes pierced her, and the surprise that turned into a somewhat weird kind of happiness didn’t last long until it was replaced with an ice-cold seriousness.</p><p>“Hey there, sister,” Eda said, forcing a smirk on her face. “Long time no see.”</p><p>“Yes… twenty years or so…” Lilith replied, walking closer to her, “I see you still hold to your wilderness.”</p><p>“It works for me,” Eda shrugged, “but <em> look at ya </em>, my sister, the head of the Emperor’s coven!”</p><p>Lilith scoffed. “You don’t need to pretend, I know you hate the idea.”</p><p>“…True, but still. I’m happy for you Lily.” Eda smiled at her, genuinely that time. “you got what you wanted, didn’t ya?”</p><p>Lilith stared at her, nodding slowly she let out a sigh and shook her head.</p><p>“What are you doing here Edalyn?”</p><p>“What? you invited me, didn’t…?”</p><p>“I mean <em> here </em>, in this arena, asking me to let go of a criminal.”</p><p>Eda’s glared at that. “The kid is not a criminal.”</p><p>“And how would you know? That child almost killed Miss. Blight!” Lilith shouted, pointing at Luz. “If I hadn’t intervened, she would be gone!”</p><p>Eda gaped. “Then why aren’t you arresting that kid too, uh? Her abomination would’ve killed her if she didn’t blast that fire!”</p><p>“She has proven herself capable of stopping it!”</p><p>“So it’s OK to try to kill if the other person is strong enough to avoid it?! What kind of logic is that?! And why the hell didn't you intervene before? If you really thought this was a crime, you'd have stopped them when <em>your </em>pupil was about to kill this kid! But you just told her to <em>stop?! </em>As if that would've been enough!”</p><p>Lilith didn’t respond to that, it was agood sign.</p><p>“She is still to be arrested,” she said, “the use of a dangerous spell that almost took the life of a person is a crime!”</p><p>Eda tensed again and glared at her sister. Didn't the other kid do the <em> exact </em> same thing? But that didn't seem to matter at all, she wouldn’t budge, she would look for a way to use that against Luz, to incarcerate her, and when the coven knew what Luz was, where she came from…</p><p>No, she wouldn’t let them.</p><p>“You can’t take her for that,” Eda said, lowering her head.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You can’t take the kid for using a dangerous spell,” Eda clarified, looking up. “She didn’t do it.”</p><p>Lilith smiled at her, crossing her arms. “Who did, then?”</p><p>Eda looked back at Luz, the kid was staring at her. She was shivering, and her eyes lacked the spark Eda had seen many times before.</p><p>She was expecting, what? Eda wasn’t sure…</p><p>“It was me,” She said, turning again, looking at Lilith. “I did the spell.”</p><p>There was a loud gasp from all over the arena, and Lilith stared at her. Her eyes wide open and her posture stiffer than before. She slowly recovered herself. Her gaze transformed into a glare.</p><p>“I should’ve suspected…” Lilith let out in a small growl. “Why would you do something like this?!”</p><p>“<em>Yeah, why?</em>” Eda thought, sighing. Her motives for creating a spell that almost killed a kid? Heck, she was a criminal, but not a child killer!</p><p>But for now, she’ll have to pretend…</p><p>“Why do you think?” She asked, smirking. “Do I have to have a reason?”</p><p>Lilith studied her before opening her mouth. “It was to get back at me?”</p><p>“<em>Good as any other…</em>” Eda thought. “Amazing sister, you got in the first try, you got better at our games!”</p><p>“I can’t believe you!!” Lilith shouted, how could you? This was the life of a kid!”</p><p>“I thought she was tougher. Guess I was wrong.”</p><p>“No wonder the spell was so massive I had to use a protective field and not a simple barrier, it was all you!”</p><p>“<em>She had to use an advanced spell?!</em>” Eda’s thoughts carried away from Lilith's lecture and went to Luz.</p><p>Just how much power did the kid have?!</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, Lily, I know, my bad, you can add it to the pile of crimes I’ve committed,” Eda said while shrugging, “is not like you haven’t already placed horrible charges against me for things I didn’t do, or you just exaggerated.”</p><p>“Edalyn!”</p><p>Eda got her hand in her hair and took out the pass that the soldier had delivered the day before. She’ll have to give King more meat that night.</p><p>“You can arrest <em> me </em>another day, can’t ya?”</p><p>Lilith stared at her. Closing her mouth and glaring at her.</p><p>Eda was so happy to have that thing on her, the entire arena seemed to be calm now, but the tension was too much. One wrong move and it all will go down, so fast that Eda wasn’t sure how she would get away.</p><p>“Let the kid go, Lily, it was my mistake, not an honest one, but a mistake,” Eda said, getting the pass back into her hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt the kid, I was just giving a little help.”</p><p>She had to keep it quiet, but she didn’t.</p><p>“…Why?” Lilith asked.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Why did you <em> help </em> her?” Lilith repeated, “who is the kid to you, Edalyn?”</p><p>She just had to ask the hard question, right?!</p><p>“None of your business,” Eda said.</p><p>“So… she is just the one chance you got then?”</p><p>Eda didn’t respond.</p><p>“Unbelievable…”</p><p>“The kid is innocent Lilith, just let her go.”</p><p>There was silence, Lilith held Eda’s gaze for minutes, the fight of wills still but deadly. After what—for Eda—felt like hours.</p><p>Lilith looked away. Eda smiled, relief rushing through her.</p><p>“Guards,” Lilith said, “…Bring the girl to the carriage; she is going to the Conformatorium!”</p><p>So much for relaxing…</p><p>“Lily, what are you doing?” Eda shouted, “I already told you it was me!”</p><p>Lilith looked at her, her face expressionless. “That does not matter anymore, the kid is who attacked Amity, and almost ended her life. She is a criminal and must be taken care of.”</p><p>“Shut your blabbering! That’s bullshit!”</p><p>“Is the law! And even when you think you can break it, people need to be punished accordingly!”</p><p>Eda was shivering; her hands already stung her from where her nails dug under her skin. She took a couple of sharp breaths and looked at Luz, the kid was astonished, not even resisting, and yet, the guards were holding as if she would just decide to kill everyone in the arena from one second to the other.</p><p>She couldn’t let that happen.</p><p>“What are you going to do with her?” Eda asked, trying to control her temper.</p><p>Lilith raised an eyebrow at her. “Why do you care?”</p><p>“Just answer the question, Lily.”</p><p>Eda won’t know if it was her tone or her face—could’ve been a mix of both—that made Lilith shiver and react.</p><p>“I’ll be taking her to the Conformatorium. And I’ll wait for her irresponsible parents to go for her, until then? She will be under the care of the Warden.”</p><p>“What?! You can’t do that!”</p><p>Luz had beaten the <em> hell </em> out of Wrath, if he got his hands on her…</p><p>“Of course I can Edalyn, I’m the Emperor’s Covent head,” Lilith said, “and this Kid had broken the rules by not attending any magic school, and being alone out here, placing in jeopardy the security of all other attendants to the event! I have the right, the <em> duty </em> to arrest her until her parents come for her!”</p><p>Luz looked like her head was spinning. She was being arrested, and Eda had the best seats in the isles to see it!</p><p>“And you just cheated; you intertwine your desire for victory against me using a kid you don’t know as a decoy!” Lilith sighed. “I’m so disappointed in you, Edalyn.”</p><p>Eda was sure Luz saw it, how her face became one of pure fury, she walked up to Lilith and held her by the arm, making her turn to face her.</p><p>“I may have cheated your stupid duel, but don’t go acting like I was the only one,” Eda said.</p><p>And Lilith's stern demeanor died right there.</p><p>“W…W-What are you talking about?”</p><p>Eda growled and let go of Lilith's arm, walking to the astonish Amity and held her by the hood.</p><p>“Hey, what are you-?!”</p><p>Amity’s scream didn’t last long.</p><p>Eda moved her hand out of the back of her head and showed something to the audience that made them all gasp.</p><p>A power glyph…</p><p>Eda turned to Lilith. “You placed <em> this </em>in your star pupils when she was about to enter the arena,” she said, “you were scared of her having a single chance of losing against a wild witch!”</p><p>Eda dropped the thing in front of Lilith, never stopping the glare she was giving her.</p><p>“You cheated, even before I did.”</p><p>The truth being left out made all the place go quiet, and Eda took the chance to turn to the guard holding Luz and growled, making them release her. She was next to Luz in a matter of seconds, holding her.</p><p>“Are you OK?” she asked in a whisper.</p><p>Luz nodded, apparently still not able to let out her words.</p><p>“What are you doing?!” Lilith said, and boy, she was raging. “She still is a criminal, arrest the kid!”</p><p>“By that reasoning, you’ll have to arrest your student too,” Eda said.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Your kid used a massive abomination spell, attacked another witchling, and almost killed the spectators if it wasn’t for <em>this kid</em> blasting it to oblivion before it had a chance! Or do you think that massive punch would’ve stopped before reaching the benches?”</p><p>Lilith backed off at that.</p><p>“Amity wasn’t conscious about it-”</p><p>“Well, neither was Luz! You can’t take her!”</p><p>“Amity has a family and a background!” Lilith finally said, making Eda look back at her. “I’ll take the kid and wait for her parents to show up, then I’ll give her to them!”</p><p>Eda prepared her staff, ready to go all out against Lilith and all the guards.</p><p>Eda did catch a weird movement, she looked for a second, maybe less, and caught the sight of the kid Lilith was just defending leaving the arena in a rush.</p><p>Too much for her to handle, apparently. But Eda had other priorities at hand, she needed a  plan of action, maybe knocking everyone with a power blast? O maybe just getting King to create a diversion or-!</p><p>And she then felt a hand closing over hers.</p><p>Eda stared down at Luz. The kid wasn’t the same as that night when she shouted all those things; no, Luz was scared, the panic overtaking her, not only by almost killing someone but by something else…</p><p>Eda understood after a second.</p><p>Luz was terrified by the idea of being carried away, of being imprisoned, of being all alone…</p><p>Just as the night she ran away from her…</p><p>Eda wasn’t making the mistake of allowing that to happen.</p><p>She took a sharp breath. She was against Lilith, the only one who had ever seen through her lies, before she didn’t need to really do anything, Lilith wanted a reason to hate her, a reason to not trust her so she had believed her… But now it was different, now Lilith wanted to find a lie, to expose Eda’s truth and she was the only one Eda had never been able to fool with her smart mouth and trickery way of phrasing.</p><p>But that didn’t matter, not anymore… Eda was going to change that at that very moment.</p><p>“Then you’ll have to give her away right now,” she said, standing with Luz in her arms.</p><p>“Ah? What are you even talking about?”</p><p>Eda looked directly into Lilith's eyes. “You’ll have to give her to her parents, right? Well then, you already did,” Eda said, “She’s my kid!”</p><p>The entire arena erupted in surprise. Lilith stared at her, Eda held her gaze. Lilith always said that Eda couldn’t lie while looking at her eyes, and it had been true for a long time, but at that moment Eda did not give in, she held the contact, and even when she did, she didn’t have any idea of how she was able to do it.</p><p>Maybe it was that her lies were not to save herself, but the kid in her arms.</p><p>“Stop spitting nonsense, Edalyn!” Lilith screamed,<em> stomping</em> towards her. “You don’t have a child!”</p><p>“And how will you know if you never talked to me?!” she shot back. “The last time we had a conversation was more than ten years ago, and you were reading me my crimes, never letting me speak!”</p><p>“But your lies are out of place! If the kid was yours, why would you remain silent until now?”</p><p>“I never said she wasn’t mine, and you really wanted me to tell you I had a kid while you were trying to send her to Conformatorium?!”</p><p>“I… I… you…!”</p><p>“Just so you know now Lilith,” Eda said, “she is Lucelyn Clawthorne, and she is my kid! So if all you are going to do is give back to her parents…!”</p><p>Eda stopped at the feel of something in her neck, and she looked down. Luz was smiling at her, a tear about to roll down her eye, and her hand was in her shoulder, touching the skin of her neck.</p><p>Eda didn’t try to resist and smiled. “…She is with me now.” She turned to Lilith. “And we’ll be leaving. Now.”</p><p>She turned and walked up to the exit of the arena. Willow and Gus were already waiting for her alongside King, and Eda smiled at them, fixing a little the weight of Luz in her arms.</p><p>“You… didn’t have to…” Eda heard Luz talk.</p><p>She negated with the head. “Yes, I had… listen, you are not just a freeloader, OK? You are my apprentice… and you are also the reason why King and I are not bored anymore… I said pretty mean stuff to ya and… I’m sorry, kiddo.”</p><p>“I also… said bad things to you…” Luz muttered, “and I ran away…”</p><p>“Not without reason.”</p><p>“Still… I’m happy… I ended up with you in the 'Owl House' Eda…” Luz then let go of her shoulder and motioned her to stop.</p><p>Eda watched her stand, and while a little shaking, Luz was on feet.</p><p>“And by the way,<em> Lucelyn…? </em>Really?”</p><p>“Hey, you try to invent a name in the middle of lying in a stadium.”</p><p>“Sure, sure…”</p><p>“…Kid,” Eda said. “Will… will you go back to the house? Is not… is not the same without you there.”</p><p>“Can I?” Luz asked, “I thought you’ll have turned my room into a human trap attraction or something.</p><p>“Hey, not a bad idea, could work,” Eda joked, “maybe I should…”</p><p>That got Luz laughing. “I… I’d love to go back... if you let me.”</p><p>“I’m asking ya, kid… I want you there.”</p><p>“Then, I should go for my things… I’m sure Willow is going to miss me though.”</p><p>“No more than King does,” Eda joked quietly and helped her to close the final distance to the outer wall. “There you go.”</p><p>“Thanks for the help <em> mom </em>. I can go on my own from here on.”</p><p>Eda smiled, shaking her head. “You are just as stubborn as me, aren’t ya?”</p><p>Eda gave her a push out of the arena and then gave Gus, King and Willow—mostly Willow, really—the work of taking Luz to the outside area. She watched them go out with a smile, and prepared to get out of the arena… but wasn’t able to do it.</p><p>A barrier covered the exit and Eda turned to face a pretty mad Lilith glaring at her.</p><p>“Now what?” Eda whined.</p><p>Lilith didn’t seem ready to talk. “You cheated… you embarrass me… and now you tell me you had a <em> child! </em> ” Lilith growled. “This is <em> not </em> ending as nothing, Edalyn!”</p><p>“You can’t just let it go, can ya?” Eda said, getting her own staff. “Why are you even so worked-up over this anyway?!”</p><p>That seemed to bother Lilith more than any other thing as she blasted a mass of blue fire at her.</p><p>Eda would have to win to get away.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz walked in shivering legs and with a spinning head until she was back at the main room of the event, many of the smaller covens had already gone away for the day, the sun setting outside gave her a soothing sensation.</p><p>She was exhausted.</p><p>“We should probably go now,” Willow commented, “my dads must be worried.”</p><p>“And is better if we don’t look for more trouble,” Gus added, “almost killing someone and facing the emperor coven’s head in a day? We won’t be having something that tops this for a while.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t count on it,” Luz said, “ and... um, Willow?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I… I’m moving back with Eda.” Luz played with the ends of her hoodie. “I really had fun with you but…”</p><p>“Thanks, Titan! You two patched things up!” Willow said… maybe a bit <em> too </em>happy.</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>Willow stopped and looked at her, a small and shaky smile on her face. “Luz, you know you are my best friend, but living with you is a bit… demanding.”</p><p>“Ah? Demanding? Me?” Luz said back. “Just so you know, I’m not the one who has to work out, every, single, day, at six o clock!”</p><p>“What? Well, I’m not the one who just <em> has </em>to read ‘Azura the good witch’ until four in the morning!”</p><p>“At least I don’t have carnivorous plants next to other people's breakfast!”</p><p>“And I, at least, don’t leave the toothpaste with my dad’s medicine in the bath!”</p><p>Both girls glared at each other for about a minute before cracking in laughs. Hugging each other.</p><p>“I’m gonna miss ya Willow,” Luz said.</p><p>The plant girl witch laughed. “We are still going to hang out a lot, you are not getting rid of me!”</p><p>“And while I’m not part of… whatever this is,” Gus said, making both girls looked at him. “I’m hoping I’m still an important friend?”</p><p>Luz laughed—really hard—adding Gus to the hug. “Of course you are, you are our best boy buddy!”</p><p>“Yeah, you are still a huge part of this group Gus!” Willow said, “don’t doubt it, OK?”</p><p>Gus sighed, hugging them back. “Got it!”</p><p>“What about me?!” King shouted at their feet. “I thought I was your best friend Luz!”</p><p>“You are my best <em>demon</em> friend and the cutest pal anyone could want!” Luz said, “now, come here you!”</p><p>King smiled and jumped between the three of them. “I’ll take the place of the king of best friends in this group!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Gus said, “you can have it, royalty is <em>so</em>, not my style.”</p><p>“I don’t have any complaints,” Willow said next, “happy to be with you, your highness.”</p><p>Luz separated from them a minute later and told Willow to go ahead and to take King with her, it was better if one—or two—of them started packing beforehand.</p><p>The girl wasn’t really convinced, but the promise of not going anywhere without Eda was enough to make Willow leave, a little persuasion from Gus part also helped to achieve that though.</p><p>So Luz was alone in the entrance of the arena, waiting for Eda to finally go out.</p><p>She considered going back… until she caught a teal head moving behind a wall.</p><p>“<em> Amity…? </em>” Luz thought, moving towards the place, a small alley.</p><p>She didn’t expect to find the girl sitting on the ground, covered in shadows and... Was she shivering? Was that her fault? Lilith’s?</p><p>It didn’t seem to matter anymore.</p><p>“Amity?”</p><p>The girl tensed up and looked at her. Luz had never seen eyes as red as those from crying.</p><p>“Why you?” Amity said.</p><p>“I… I’m sorry…”</p><p>“Seriously?! Just leave me <em> alone!” </em></p><p>Luz backed off, but she didn’t leave. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!”</p><p>“Well, it did!” Amity broke, standing up and glaring at her. “All you ever do is get this… this weird situation wherever you go! First at school with Willow’s abomination, then Bump taking me away from class, and you just had to ask about Willow, and I-!”</p><p>“I just wanted to help Willow back then!”</p><p>“And you managed to do it, but you had been in my head since then!” Amity closed the distance, holding her by the collar. “You lied, you cheated and then acted like you wanted to be my friend!”</p><p>“I want to be your friend! That's not a lie, and I never wanted to hurt you!”</p><p>“But you did!” Amity pushed her away. “And it doesn’t matter if you wanted to! For your information, you don’t get to choose if you hurt me, you just do!”</p><p>Luz closed her fist, her eyes burned her, but she wouldn’t cry. “I’m sorry!”</p><p>“That won’t fix anything!” Amity turned her back on her. “This duel was all a disaster; Lilith <em> cheated </em> because she thought I couldn’t beat you with my own strength!”</p><p>“That was Lilith's fault, not yours!”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter!” Amity screamed. “Your challenge just exposed me, my weakness!”</p><p>Amity turned again, she wasn’t crying but she might as well have.</p><p>“You embarrassed me in front of the emperor’s coven, my future!” she said, “even if it wasn’t you… even then…”</p><p>“Amity, I’m so sorry, b-but I don’t know what else to do…” Luz tried to close the distance, reaching out for the other girl with her hand.</p><p>Amity slapped it away. “You just think it's so easy! And all because you have some talent?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Bump told me about your test, you have four spells, one is the light, anyone can do that, but a fire spell, and an ice and a plant one? Those are spells of completely different natures… he said you were talented, that it was a shame you wouldn’t enter the school…”</p><p>“<em>He said that?</em>” Luz thought, taking a step back and looking at her feet.</p><p>“You just think is so easy to be a witch!” Amity shouted at her and made her look up. “I’ve been working my whole <em> life </em> to get to the top! And you just had this talent, and on top of that, you cheated! You have it all and still decided not to go the right way… I don’t care what Bump said, you don’t belong in Hexside! You don’t belong <em> here!” </em></p><p>Luz opened her eyes and stared at the girl. Amity was so hurt, all because she couldn’t control herself… all because Luz had been selfish and because she had been reckless… because she lacked the discipline to control herself and all that had almost…</p><p>… Almost killed her…</p><p>“… You’re right…” Luz said softly, “I don’t’.”</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>Luz looked at Amity in the eyes. “I don’t belong here, nor in Hexside… I don’t belong anywhere.”</p><p>Luz looked away from Amity hugging herself.</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>She looked at Amity by the rear of her eye. “I was alone, hidden, until a month ago.”</p><p>“What?” Amity asked, getting a hand to her mouth a moment later, her eyes widening. “…Why?”</p><p>“I had circumstances… my mom couldn’t take care of me at the time, so she sent me away, I was hidden for a long time, I spent a time on the human realm, but other than that? I was just... alone.” Luz left out a small, dry laugh. “She went every day, but in the end, those were visits…”</p><p>Luz sat on the ground. Surprised how easy it was resulting to lie to Amity, maybe it was because she wasn’t straight to the fact lying, but telling half-truths. Eda did go to the human realm—at least Owlbert did—all the time, and she had just said she was her mom… just, didn’t go to see her. And she was <em> away </em>, out of the isles, and their dimension.</p><p>“I was left alone to avoid people hurting me… I’ve always been so different to everybody… in the place where I was the people didn’t know me, but every time I tried to fit in… I just made something stupid, or weird and they all didn’t want to have anything to do with me… ever.” She chuckled, looking back at Amity. “Just as you said… I always make things weird…”</p><p>“Luz…I… I didn’t…”</p><p>“You did, you just said it,” Luz cut her, not letting her finish the sentence. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to hide who I am, trying so hard to be someone I’m not because people kept telling me is for the best…”</p><p>Luz turned her completely to look at Amity, and she tried to smile, and the reaction she got told her that her face must have had any expression but one.</p><p>“I’m working hard to be a witch, Amity, and I’m working even harder to find the place where I belong… so, I’m sorry if I hurt you, I really am, but I couldn’t stand by when you talked like that… I just couldn’t…” Luz’s eyes dropped to the ground. “I don’t want people looking at me like I don’t try anymore…”</p><p>They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Then, Amity sighed and draw a spell circle, creating light. She pushed it towards Luz, and Luz herself looked at it, creating a small light…</p><p>Or she tried, the spell went wild again, and she made multiple lights, all with a decent size.</p><p>“No, no, no, why?!” Luz whined.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Amity asked.</p><p>“I didn’t want to make this much! It just went on its own…”</p><p>Amity left a little giggle escape. “Now you have problems with your magic? That could’ve helped me in the match.”</p><p>“During the duel, I didn’t need to go small,” Luz sulked, “you had a pretty big abomination going after me…”</p><p>“… Yes… I guess I did…” Amity sighed, “I was… Also surprised... When I saw it.”</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>“I’ve been making abominations for a while now… I know I always limited myself and I thought… I thought that it was my real potential, that being in that place, having Lilith watching me had given me a reason to go all out… I guess I was wrong…”</p><p>“… For all that matters. I do think that you are pretty strong.”</p><p>“Ja, and why would you?”</p><p>“I saw what happened when a small demon girl got one of those glyphs, she went nuts, apparently, the construction coven needs people with not only strong bodies, but also strong minds, or they could lose themselves in the power of the glyph.”</p><p>“…I never heard of that…”</p><p>“I just happened to ask the right person, I guess…” Luz shrugged: “So, don’t sell yourself cheap, you are pretty amazing.”</p><p>“I’m not selling myself…”</p><p>“It was an expression!” Luz said, “…So…"</p><p>"So..?"</p><p>"Are… are we good?”</p><p>Amity looked at her and then to the front, suddenly too quiet. She nodded, just a small nod in the darkness that Luz could’ve let slip if she wasn’t looking.</p><p>Luz smiled, looking at the front too. “Good, good.”</p><p>“Yeah, good.”</p><p>Their little silence was broken when an explosion echoed through the place. Luz was the first to stand up, almost falling due to the drowsiness. If it wasn’t for Amity catching her, she would’ve gone back to the ground.</p><p>“Thanks,” Luz said, looking ahead. “What was that?”</p><p>“I have no idea…” Amity answered.</p><p>“Luz!” they both heard.</p><p>Luz separated herself from Amity and an arm surrounded her. She looked up to find Eda looking at her.</p><p>“We gotta go, kiddo!” Eda said.</p><p>“What happened?” she asked.</p><p>“I had a little sisterly brawl and may or may not have tied her shoelaces together, so we need to go, now!”</p><p>Luz just stared with her mouth hanging open before letting out a laugh and turning to Amity.</p><p>“Well, you heard her, I gotta fly!” Luz said, smiling. “See ya around superstar!”</p><p>Amity blushed at the nickname and Luz laughed harder while Eda took them away on Owlbert.</p><p>They were in the sky in seconds, the winds, the fading sunlight, and the cold helping Luz to relax.</p><p>“Today was a mess…”</p><p>Eda chuckled. “Tell me about it.”</p><p>Luz looked at the woman, and smiled, getting her arms around her and squeezing softly.</p><p>“Umm… Kid?” Eda said, “Why are you…?”</p><p>“Thank you,” Luz cut her off, “for coming for me… again.”</p><p>“…I told you then that I would, didn’t I?”</p><p>“Yeah… I guess you did…”</p><p>Luz looked at the sky, the stars as bright as that night, the air as cold, and the sky as open… all was the same in the isles… but it all was different in her eyes, and maybe in Eda's, too?</p><p>“So, where did you send King again?” Eda asked, moving a little to get Luz to let go of her. “We still need your things.”</p><p>“Oh right, I think we are close by,” Luz said, looking down. “Right there, that’s Willows house!”</p><p>“OK, let us… wait.” Eda stopped and stared down.</p><p>“Eda, what happened?”</p><p>“That’s Aaron’s house!”</p><p>…Apparently, Eda and Luz had a lot of catching up to do.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>“I see the ‘Owl Lady’ escaped once more from your little schemes Lilith.”</p><p>“Thank you for your remarks Kikimora,” Lilith snapped.</p><p>“I hope you remember what Emperor Belos had promised you.”</p><p>“I will catch her, you have my word…”</p><p>“Pretty well…”</p><p>“Wait, Kikimora.”</p><p>The demon stopped her movements. “What is it?”</p><p>“Could… Could I ask you to look into something?”</p><p>“Oh? What, if I may?”</p><p>Kikimora saw Lilith doubt for a second. “My sister… She said something.”</p><p>“What could’ve said, a wild witch that requires <em> me </em>to look into it?”</p><p>“She said she… she had a child, a girl.”</p><p>“<em> Oh… </em>” Kikimora thought. “That’s… Interesting…”</p><p>“… Yes…”</p><p>“And what you want me to investigate is?”</p><p>“All,” Lilith said immediately, “I want to know all about the creature.”</p><p>“You don’t sound really happy to be an aunt.”</p><p>“There is something… strange, about the kid… I, I just need to be sure.”</p><p>Kikimora smiled, her tunic’s neck hiding her mouth always helped to fool people. And this time, it worked on fooling Lilith too.</p><p>“I shall look into the kid’s background, send her name.”</p><p>“Thank you, Kiki.”</p><p>The demon closed the mirror, cutting the communication and turning to the small room she was in an adjacent camera to the throne room, her feet moving her to the door connecting both.</p><p>“Emperor Belos…” she talked, lowering her head.</p><p>“I heard,” an ominous voice said, “… so, The Owl Lady had an offspring?”</p><p>“Seems like it, my lord.”</p><p>“Pretty well… this promises to be… useful.”</p><p>Kikimora raised her eyes. “Sir? What should I do with Lilith’s request?”</p><p>“Do what she has asked you,” the voice answered, “we shall expect great things, Kiki.”</p><p>“Really, my lord? But... Why?”</p><p>Kikimora then was faced with a pair of glowing blue eyes. “Because… the Titan has spoken to me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yeah! We have not Luz Noceda, but Lucelyn Clawthorne!<br/>Who saw that coming? Eh, Eh?<br/>I know probably everybody, but still here is the plot point. Now we have not only a found family but our big bad villain making an act of presence! Also, Willow is the mom friend taking care of the friend from her actual mom, who doesn't want a friend like her? I love Willow and Luz's friendship, also Gus, he is best boy, don't worry he's development is close...<br/>I hope you can point out what you find out of place here since I'm still trying to improve the quality of the story. I do hope you liked the chapter!<br/>Anyway, there is nothing much to add except a little last-minute votation!<br/>Would you like:<br/>1.- Mythical creatures one-shot AU!<br/>2.- Second chapter for the one-shot: "Doctor said it's just a crush"?<br/>I'm feeling the need to try writing something apart from these two long stories, please let me know what you think?!?!<br/>That would be all. G_U out, peace~ Have a great Halloween!<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hooty's Crashing Hassle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Main Story: Eda and Luz are now back together, but their problems are just getting started, no, Luz who is facing not only the lack of control of her powers. But what her mind is holding for her, is faced with a new challenge, a moonlight conjuring.<br/>Side story: Amity has always been living under expectations and, by that, always putting up with Boscha. What will happen when she reaches her limit?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is just starting to get into the main thing, so I hope you've enjoyed it so far! Now, today's chapter is a little more bounded to Cannon... but yeah, I still went pretty much on my own thing with most of the details and stuff, so I hope you get at least a bit surprised with it! In a good way.<br/>I don't have anything else to say except. Please check Cidallel on Tumblr since that amazing artist made a Fanart of this story that I positively love and hope, that it gets to be known as a fact!<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House does not belong to me, this story is made only for the purpose of entertainment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Whispers are more powerful than screams</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>A truth is more valuable when the sound is only yours to hear</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>And a lie is more venomous... when the voice that tells it is sweet”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was in the middle of the arena again, her body was aching, again, and Amity was about to get crushed by a giant fire owl… </span>
  <em>
    <span>again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, it all hit her like the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No… stop, stop it!” she screamed, pulling with all her strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl turned in her direction, the non-existent eyes pierced through her and Luz saw it move its peak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She woke up sweating bullets and holding her face. Her breathing uneven and her mind not processing where she was. She couldn’t see more than fire, nothing more but flames, and dust, and ash, and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz? Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that King?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, look at me, it’s not real, look at me! Look at me titan damn it!” The voice repeated and Luz felt two little paws on her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes focused on him, the little cute face making her relax. There was no fire, there was no heat either. She was in her room, in the ‘Owl House’. Not in the arena, Amity was safe; she wasn’t going out of control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was OK…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T-Thanks King…” Luz whispered, hugging him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King sighed and patted her on the back. “Is happening more…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded while wiping her face and she looked at the floor. Almost a week had passed since ‘Covention’, and she was getting the exact same dream-nightmare each night; always the fire, the heat, the hopeless feeling…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired…” Luz said, separating herself from King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know… let’s talk to Eda again, maybe she can give you something for it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt she’ll have something today…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stood up, the sleepiness keeping an iron grip over her actions. She wanted to fall unconscious and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>sleep!</span>
  </em>
  <span> But her head wouldn’t allow her that, all her unconscious time was spent dealing with the memories of what could’ve happened</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tormenting her with ‘what ifs’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz changed fast, her hoodie and shorts, and leggings, all in its place, she didn’t feel like putting shoes on, yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just… just roll with it!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, slapping her cheeks lightly and smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked down the stairs to find Eda downing a bottle of elixir, the woman had four books and a deck of cards occupying the coffee table in the living room... also; she looked exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?” Luz asked, getting closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman jumped and pointed her with her hand; which to be fair, in the ‘Boiling Isles’, was like pointing a gun at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, is me, is me!” Luz said while raising both hands. “Are you OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” Eda asked, lowering her arm and sighing. “Yeah, yeah, I… I’m just a bit tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes two of us,” Luz joked with a small smile, Eda smirked back at her. “I thought you stopped reading when I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda mumble something and Luz sighed, she didn’t catch what she meant, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t something very nice. Luz turned her head and looked at the books on the shelf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had taken a night reading habit that last week. Luz had joined her out of spite after her first nightmare. Not brave enough to go back to sleep and risk facing that scene once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you find out who the murderer was?” Luz asked, moving a bit closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I did stop with you…” Eda yawned. “I just had to take another book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s why you are so tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should try to sleep more,” Luz said and turned to the books on the table. “What is all this anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stretched and took one of the books. “I went and got some stuff from the library… might as well start to help you if I got you back here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Help me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at her while closing the book and placing it aside, she stood up and walked up to her, taking her hands and making her palms look upwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo, I’m pretty sure you haven’t tried, so you are now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz.”  Eda left her hands go. “Make light. A small one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz cocked her head to the side and looked away from the woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw her bracelet resting on top of the fireplace, just where she had left the thing after her second night back in the ‘Owl House’, having it with her made her shiver, uneasy…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made the nightmares felt more realistic when she woke up to find it glowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want to, but the seriousness on Eda’s voice made her move. Luz walked up to it and took it, placing it on her forearm, she went back to stand in front of Eda and did as she told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz ran magic to her bracelet and concentrated on the light glyph. The spell forming as it usually did… until...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? Wait!” Luz said when the magic stopped listening to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled back almost violently, the magic flow stopped but the spell already projected itself. Instead of the small light Eda had asked her to do, Luz made a huge sphere, said thing separated into multiple smaller ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I was right,” Eda said, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were?” Luz asked and lowered her hands. “About what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, kiddo, this is some real basic stuff…” Eda groaned and dropped herself on the sofa. “A witch usually has their bills sack to power their spells, and that’s natural, you know this much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you are an exception,” Eda took the book from before, passing it to her. “I’ve been looking into wild magic, the type I wanted to learn but couldn’t, and I think I’ve found a somewhat explanation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took the book, looking over it, it didn’t have a title, nor an author name…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was pretty sure those pages weren’t made out of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened it, looking at blocks of runes talking about the isles and their magic, the power that surged from them and how to talk to it to get the power to help you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This seems like…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bull-crap? Yeah, a little.” Eda took another book. “But is pretty much what you do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your glyphs,” Eda said while pointing at her bracelet, “you told me those glyphs just appeared to you in things, things you felt different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never said…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m making deductions here, please,” Eda cut her, Luz nodded at her. “So, you got them from the world around you, and you told me that the things you got them from were from here, or at least, you supposed they were from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded, placing the book aside and crossing her arms. “I think is safe to assume those were from here, I mean, magic in the human realm comes from here anyway…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, but what does-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, you said that before your magic was barely working at all,” Eda cut her off, “so I was thinking, ‘what could it be that makes her so powerful’? And it came to me as easy as looking outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at Eda before doing just that, she watched through the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it clicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The isles…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Correct!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda said, clapping at her. “Glad I didn’t have to spell it for ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head. “So, you are telling that by being here, my magic got stronger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the only explanation I have, and it fits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stood up and walked to the door, getting Owlbert to fly her staff to her, she exited the house. Luz took two seconds before going after her and watched the older witch move her staff around, and the space next to the cellar—how Eda had </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisted </span>
  </em>
  <span>on calling it—transformed into a small clear with a hole in the middle, it was filled with water the very next second of its appearance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What are you doing?” Luz asked once the little… garden, was done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are giving ya your so-called ‘magic training’,” Eda said, walking to the clear. “So come on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My… training?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda dropped herself on the ground and waited for her, Luz moved slowly, taking a seat in front of her, and Eda smiled while she got her hands to her knees, closing her eyes. Luz looked at her for a few minutes, Eda didn’t move an inch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am… Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the training,” she responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? But you aren’t doing anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda opened an eye and smirked, motioning with her head to the side. Luz followed the indication.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And saw light. Around them, hundreds of small lights floated, almost imperceptibly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How..? You didn’t make a spell circle…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sure did, you just didn’t see it,” Eda said, closing her eye again. “When I put my hands where they are, I drew the spell circle then, and I’ve kept it working until now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the woman, looking with more care, she finally noticed the small—minuscule—spell circle atop her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your magic is hijacked,” Eda said, “you went all out for the first time since you stepped on the isles, and now you can’t control your output.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded, remembering then that Eda couldn’t see her. “Yeah, right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been using all you got, all your life; that made your magic develop a type of muscular memory, or is what I think.” Eda opened both eyes, her gaze was stern. “The coven system works by sealing the magic a person can use, is a physical block of the magic… you have an opposite problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Opposite?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya also seem like a repeating demon now, stop it,” Eda told her, making Luz nod. “As I was saying, you have the opposite problem, you don’t know how to limit yourself, the magic got used to go all out since ya never tried to go small. So that’s what we are going to focus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On… going small?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!” Eda smiled, moving her hand so her palm was facing the spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made it bigger, a normal-sized, and then a huge one, both times, a new light appeared, both the same size as the spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can go all out and still be amazing, but I think you don’t want that,” Eda said while making all the lights disappear, “all the power you have… I don’t know where it comes from, but I do know is more than what you expected… or wanted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at Eda before the nightmares flashed through her mind; she lowered her head, nodding slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So kid, ya need to go slow, small, and take care of it.” Luz looked up and found Eda smiling at her. “Once you get the hang of it, you won’t have to worry about anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… I thought you said the magic was unpredictable,” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The magic maybe, but you aren’t, not to yourself at least,” Eda responded, “so just, relax kid, I know you can do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Thanks Eda, I’ll give it my all!” Luz said fist-pumping the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s actually the contrary of what you should do, but I like the spirit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking photos, talking nonsense, and having to put up with snarky remarks, what a great way of passing her day.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thanks, mom…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought, sighing and standing from her seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Amity, where are you going?” Boscha asked, leaning back on her chair. “We were just about to point out the ‘half-a-witch’ last mess on penstagram!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked back and took in the image. Boscha was the same as always, smirking and trying to look way too cool, way too hard, and Cat, Amelia along with Skara were looking at their scrolls. Skara left out a small sigh with a smile before looking up at her. Amity raised an eyebrow at the bard witch before turning her back on them while biting her tongue avoiding to spat a bad response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgot a book in my locker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was the last class,” Skara pointed out, hiding her scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned her head back to look at them. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking out of the classroom helped her, but the tension still built up in her shoulders. She sighed, looking at the sky through the windows of the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night she wouldn’t be getting time to read… or rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid moonlight conjuring…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity did love the idea, like any other girl. Having people coming over and talking about stupid stuff while they bonded? Count her in, she had dreamed of doing so when she was younger, she had even planned the night countless times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she had separated from... it didn’t matter, not anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the plans Amity made in her childhood went straight to the trash can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So in the present, Amity was trapped with self-centered Boscha and all pleasant Skara—along with other girls—going to her house to try to animate some object, just to go taking photos and posting them on penstagram. Spending the rest of the night with their faces stuck on their scrolls?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did they need to go over for that? They could do it anywhere else!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the conjuring will be tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, though I don’t think we can do it this year neither.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stopped walking and hid by pure instinct. She looked over the corner and found Gus and Willow next to the first locker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sucks, but being honest, I don’t feel like staying over anyone’s house at the moment,” Willow said, “I just got Luz out of mine a week ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, how is that going?” Gus asked, getting a few books out of the mouth of his locker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I finally managed to sleep on time.” Willow sighed. “Still, I miss her on breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dads were happy with her help, now all they talk is about if Luz would want to work part-time now that she is not staying over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dads like Luz more than you then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think it goes that far, but they did like her a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stopped hearing them fast enough. They moved away from the locker and she was left with the conversation hanging on thin air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did know that Luz was staying at Willow’s, but she didn’t have any idea of her moving out, let alone it had already been a week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A week…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shivered, the fight came back to her like it had happened many times already. Boscha and Skara had let it be after a few threats and dry comments about them not being able to even be recognized by a teacher except during special times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha took it the worst, but she stopped, and Amity treated it like a win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Luz is back to her parents?” Amity whispered, leaning on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had… expected something to change, sure, but not like that. Luz had talked about staying with Willow, and she had then run off with a criminal witch that just tried to kill Amity!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But still, she wasn’t really mad; she did try to end Luz…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why am I thinking about this?” She groaned, separating from the wall and restarted her walk to her locker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’ll have her stupid conjuring, she’ll please her mother and get her away from her life for the next few months, she wouldn’t think about Luz for the next twelve hours, and she’ll be a perfect ‘Blight’, as always.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…As always…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you can!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not moving until you do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda heard Luz groan and the teen closed her eyes again, the bracelet lit up and the light spell started to form. The older witch smiled at the kid when the small sphere of light appeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sadly, it didn’t last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed when Luz magic went over the top, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and turned the small spell into a huge one, not even medium size! She dropped herself on her back, the little place she made didn’t provide enough shadow, and the sun was starting to bother her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I failed again, didn’t I?” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed. “Yeah, I guess we can’t have you controlling yourself that easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sat, looking at the teen who was sulking at the big light she had just made. She couldn’t hide the little smile on her face, a kid sulking about having too much talent?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was for laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, this is enough for today!” Eda said, standing up, “fix yourself, we are going to the market.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, duh, kiddo you can’t keep yourself inside the house, as much as I asked you to come back, I wasn’t expecting you to just stay inside a whole week!”  Eda made a spell and got Luz to stand upright there. “Have you even used the scroll I got ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That damn thing had been the less stupid idea King had while looking for a gift to give to Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I have tried…” Luz said, looking away, “but is kinda…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinda… what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Kinda… bright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh? Now, what are you blabbering about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… It’s easier if I show you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got her hand in her pocket, taking out her phone and the folded scroll. She then proceeded to use the thing, running magic through it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Running magic through it….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s mind made the connection too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was faced with the thing shining brighter than any of the lights they had made the entire day, and boy it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>bright!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got it, I got it, turn the damn thing off!” Eda screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was panicking. “I’m trying!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After two minutes the light was finally off and the two women sighed, the scroll on the ground between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should’ve suspected it…” Eda muttered, “of course, you got it after this thing with your magic started, it was a logical outcome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently I don’t have this part of being a witch…” Luz sighed. “I mean, I can’t even just… summon it. I don’t know the glyph.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed and pated Luz’s head. “That just means you’ll have to learn it! You’ll get it in no time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Thanks, Eda,” Luz said, “but that’s not the only reason we are going to the market, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda's smile turned into a smirk. “You sure ya aren’t my child? Seems like my thinking it’s rubbing on ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda,” Luz pressured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah,” Eda shook her head. “Truth be told, I ran out of elixir this morning, the one I took was the last, I need to get a refill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at her, and Eda looked the other way, being all… </span>
  <em>
    <span>open</span>
  </em>
  <span> and sharing her problems was still awkward. But the smile on the kid’s face made it all pretty much worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then to the market!” Luz said, raising both hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Market?!” King said, poking his head from a window, “I’m gonna steal all that’s not nailed to the ground!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda snickered and watched Luz go back to the house. The kid was smart, strong, and resourceful for what Eda had seen so far, the thing with the bracelet and her fight against Lilith’s student…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz would get the hang of her powers in no time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her thought got cut when she heard a little scream and looked at the teen, who was jumping on one foot in front of Hooty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her with a tearing eye. “I… I forgot I don’t have shoes on…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… OK, she never said the kid was perfect, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Contrary to her possible attitude the last week, Luz loved to go to the market. It was one of the few guilty pleasures she had taken from having grown up in the human world, she was fascinated by every new thing she learned…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t do this to me, Daryl!” A huge slug demon screamed, “you are the one who ate my not dog!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for that I’m marrying you Denisse!” screamed a giant butterfly one, spitting acid at the other one, which puked in its direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… She also got grossed to no human possible level of comprehension. But hey! Perks and cons, she could cope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything better than people watching on the demon realm?” Luz asked, looking to her side and helping a struggling King to get on the bench.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back to front and saw what she supposed was a bus stop… to where an egg got, letting out a really slimy, giant, mucus-covered creature, and the people waiting in there passed to get inside the egg’s shell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The punchline of that joke of a scene was looking at Tiny Nose—she had presented herself once while buying groceries on Aaron’s store—failing to get in the thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The curse of tiny legs,” Luz said, shaking her head a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know the pain…” King sighed next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled a little and looked away. There was a group of people walking with a cart and she almost immediately went stiff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Demon Hunters,” King voiced her thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, not a pretty sight today either…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz remembered them; they were by far her less favorite group of people. She had gone to the market one day with Aaron, finding the group selling ‘exotic’ meat. It has turned out to be a talking demon who was a bit too big for its size.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so glad she didn’t take that bite they offered her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop glaring at them,” King said, pushing her. “Look, there are your dumb friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz followed the little paw King just raised and found Willow and Gus. She smiled and stood up, the week of enclosing had proven hard by the bittersweet sensation of not seeing her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she had people to miss if she ever went into a full self-imprisonment, that was different from back on earth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow! Gus!” She said while jogging and walking up to them. “Hey, friends!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Luz,” they both replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her good mood got a hit and she lowered the hand she had just raised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s wrong? Who hurt my babies?!” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They did,” Willow said, and her voice was more irritated than sad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the direction Willow just pointed to and found a group of people. She recognized most of them by the stories Willow and Gus had told her, but the only face she actually did recognize was Amity’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked… bored, even distant for someone in the middle of group of people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity’s having a moonlight conjuring and invited everyone but us,” Willow said, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus took that as his cue. “And she keeps posting about in her penstagram account!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He showed her a photo and Luz saw the selfie with curiosity until she read the message of ‘No dorks allowed’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz stared at the group of girls again, and her eyes met Amity’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teal-haired girl seemed to be about to raise her hand and wave at her, but she stopped almost immediately, looking back to the bottle in her hand. Luz bit her lip at the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure something is wrong with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, she is just a jerk if you ask me,” Gus said, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz just said that out loud, great.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to change the subject, fast. “What’s a moon light conjuring?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That did the trick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled. “You spend the night at someone’s house, playing games, telling stories…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like a slumber party!” Luz said, “I’ve heard of those… and Willow, haven’t we already done that? Like, a lot? And it was just last week, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, but this has the added value of you using moon magic to bring something lo life!” Willow said, making a spell and showing her an open book with said spell on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…So is like a weird slumber party...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess. Point is, Gus and I have never been to one, you need at least three people…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m three people, I mean, we are three people! And frankly, we are way better than them.” Luz added, looking at the group of girls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who… just so happened to be passing next to them. Did they hear her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, you couldn’t get an invite to the conjuring Willow,” Boscha said, “only real witches allowed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>OK, Luz was happy she wasn’t heard, but also, frustrated she wasn’t heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, she wanted to punch Boscha, hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave her alone,” Amity said next, “she did get the recognition of the principal, didn’t she? And even haves a place on the wall of excellence with you and me.” Amity restarted her walk after that. “She does have at least a bit of talent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She does have </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> going,” another girl said, Luz stared at the dark-skinned girl with red selves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Skara,” Boscha said, “let’s go, the ‘half-a-witch’ and her weird pal can eat dirt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While the group moved away, Luz had to rush and hold Willow’s hands before she went mad, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>madder</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The vines were already growing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, don’t waste your time getting sore over them,” Luz said, getting her arm over Willow’s shoulders. “We are going to have our own moonlight conjuring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you serious? It’s on my bucket list!” Gus said, jumping closer and showing them said list. “Right under owning a human bucket!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a weird thing to want, but I appreciate your enthusiasm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I’m all in to stick this to Amity, are you sure you want, Luz?” Willow asked, “I, myself, am happy with recovering a bit of my personal space after you moved out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You make it sound like it was hell…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got her laughing. “You know I loved having you around, but really, are you up to it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled. “Of course, anything for my best friend squad!” she said, hugging them both. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>And besides, I’ll do anything to avoid nightmares tonight.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought before separating from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, then I guess we should try it!” Willow said once they were apart. “Is Eda going to be OK with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think she’ll mind it, I’ll talk to her now anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned and saw Eda cornering the poor alchemist. She stopped for a second, hearing the words. ‘Night Market’ and ‘Grimm hammer’ coming from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was a bad idea to make the conjuring…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s face and the flames flashed her memory and Luz closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need this…” she whispered, closing the final distance. “Eda! Gus, Willow and I are gonna make a moonlight conjuring tonight, can we do it on the ‘Owl House’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda raised an eyebrow at her. “A moonlight conjuring? Are you sure kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you are forgetting what we were doing all this morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, right, magic overflowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Kid, I don’t know what you planned, but your magic already out of control and a moonlight conjuring is a type of magic that receives a boost already. What do you think would happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Something cool?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda hit her on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Eda! They want to do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t seem to be really that important though,” King commented then, “I mean, I heard you talking, and you are making it sound more desperate then it needs to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curse King and his adorably sharp senses!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, tell ya this, kid,” Eda said, “you tell me why this is so important, and I’ll give permission.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her, considering if lying was an option there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But lies had caused enough problems; she didn’t felt like lying anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I just don’t want to have nightmares tonight…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh, Luz…” Eda said, placing a hand in her head. “So those haven’t stopped?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Not a single night…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wished you had told me sooner,” Eda said, “OK, you can have your conjuring, but I need you to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>extra </span>
  </em>
  <span>careful and try not to use any magic on the spell… my house is full of many valuables artifacts that need protection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like me!” King said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are coming with me.” Eda then held him by the collar. “I need an extra pair of eyes to watch out for pick-pockets.” She leaned closer to Luz with a smirk. “And an extra pair of hands in case </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to pick-pocket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, pick-pocket!” Both Eda and King said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at Eda, turning to see Gus and Willow and show them her thumbs up. They got the message immediately and waved her goodbye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, better get going, you need to prepare the house,” Eda said, pulling her along. “Who knows? Maybe by doing magic with people who know how to control themselves, you’ll get the hang of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… maybe…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched over her shoulder. Willow and Gus ran the opposite direction after sending her one last wave with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and turned to look ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Eda said, she needed to prepare the house… she needed to prepare herself!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m not gonna screw this up!” Luz said, closing her fist and getting it to her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to screw up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way in hell she would be able to not mess up the conjuring. Willow and Gus were already on their way, Eda had given her permission to use the ‘Owl House’ and was out with King to get the elixir.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz was panicking with the idea of using magic again when she couldn’t control the output.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, no, no, Willow is counting on you… to get back at Amity…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, lowering her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t like the attitude her friend had while talking about her. There was something, that little story Willow and Amity weren’t telling her. She didn’t know what it was, but Luz did know something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was rotting, poisoning both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… What should I do…?” Luz sighed, looking at her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Your guests are here, Hoot-Hoot!” Hooty’s voice came with a punch when the door opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Willow said, running at her and hugging her. “Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello!” Luz said, returning the gesture and looking at Gus at the door. “Why are you both covered in leaves?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled at her. “Let’s say I’m a sneaky sneakster!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I! Have leaves in my pants!” Gus said, “And I like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finally! Someone to hear my stories!” Hooty said, “There once was me and this little bird that flew into my-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz kicked a ball on the ground, and the door closed with a single bounce of the toy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry not sorry, Hooty,” Luz said, and the three teens laughed. “Anyway, welcome, to the living room!” She turned to show them the place. “We call it that because is technically living. The walls are breathing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow got closer to the one wall that seemed to have asthma those last days. “Enchanting!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and walked to get the things Eda left for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have snacks! We have weird music!” she said, showing both things to her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus popped out from behind her. “We have a bucket!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My man!” Luz said while dropping the things she had on a table and doing finger guns at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we have friends to do the conjuring!” Willow added, jumping in her place. “This is so exciting!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How can she be so cute?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, hugging her and rubbing their cheeks together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“L…L-Luz!” Willow whined getting away from her. “Weird human stuff?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weird human stuff,” she said, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Human stuff?!” Gus asked and got between them, maybe a bit too excited. “Me too! Me too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz complied and did the same with him. Gus jumped away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was so weird!” he screamed, “Why would you do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weird stuff from an old TV show, though they just smashed their cheeks together,” she responded before looking at Willow. “So, how does this ‘conjuring’ thing go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, first we should choose something to animate.” Willow said, looking around. “Since is our first time, we should choose something meaningful, something beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned at the look Willow was giving to the flower pot she had set earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Gus had other ideas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like this weird little buff man!” He showed it to Willow, pressing the middle of its body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m half beef, half bob!” Was what came out of the toy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved closer. “Yes, he is perfect!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s, not exactly what I meant with beautiful…” Willow said looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, I know friend”. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>But Gus deserves it…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, Luz’s eyes went to her bracelet, she had taken it off and placed it on the couch, too afraid to use her glyphs while doing the spell. Working on flowers as Willow wanted was way too risky…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Besides, the little buff guy couldn’t make much damage if she didn’t manage to control herself, which was a plus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, buff boy it is,” Willow said after Gus looked at her big teary eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved, hugging Willow again. “Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tonight he shall be risen! And it’s buff guy, Willow.” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The plant witch crossed her arms and smirked. “Is he, thou?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and shook her head. “I’ll be right back, do we need anything in special?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a few candles!” Willow said, walking to a wall. “And we’re covered.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gottcha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz walked into the kitchen and went for the sink, taking a glass she filled it with water before downing it in a single swung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, this is easy, you won’t lose control of it, you got this,” She whispered, raising her head and catching her reflection on the window. “I got this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity! We are here to party!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s open, Boscha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, closing her book and looking at the door, the whole ‘Boscha gang’ came through. Amity had never really been ‘friends’ with any of them beside Boscha and Skara, and if she was being frank?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hasn’t invited that many people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tonight we’ll do that dumb stuff of ‘conjuring’,” Boscha said, leaving her bag on the ground, “I wanna tell you all about this super weird and ridiculous thing that happened!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is about Willow being a good student again?” Amity asked, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got Amity’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha had been extremely aggressive lately, it has been since Willow had stopped being a ‘half-a-witch’ to be the best student in their year on the plant track, to be exact. Amity had tried to ignore it, her talks with Luz being enough torture while thinking about the other witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Boscha didn’t make it easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some jerk demon </span>
  <em>
    <span>house</span>
  </em>
  <span> gave me a lecture!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK, Boscha?” Skara asked, rubbing the back of her neck. “That sounds a bit…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid,” Amity finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m telling you the truth!” Boscha said, “It was a weird talking house and when I was about to get rid of it, the damn thing stood up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity chuckled. “Really? And how did it ‘stood up’, if it was a house demon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It had legs!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like, witch legs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bird legs!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh right! Because that makes so much sense!” Skara said, laughing, “Boscha you are so funny!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut it, Skara,” Boscha growled, “I know what I saw!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we know what you didn’t,” Amity said, walking to the door, “I’ll get some snacks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left the room and after closing the door she giggled. Whoever had played Boscha had done it right!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That would teach her something… hopefully…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, walking downstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity passed through her dad’s studio and stopped for a second. They weren’t home, like many other nights. But he had been the one who convinced her mother to let her have the conjuring to begin with. Some talk about her relating better with her friends for the future.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, dad,” Amity whispered, “I don’t think I can relate with them that much…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity!” Boscha’s voice came from upstairs. “Get some drinks while you are down there, could you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and resumed her walk, she could maybe avoid the personal, get the things herself, and stay out of her room as long as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did manage to avoid any personal, it was her lucky day on that, at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her time getting the things, some candles from a counter along with chips, and a bottle of ‘devilish break soda’ her siblings had left hidden for some special occasion behind a few things on the fridge. She smiled at her little recollection and started her way back after getting some glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could at least stuff herself with junk food to pass the night and have an excuse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I have this-” She said, getting inside the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity! We are going to animate this ugly doll! You don’t have a problem right?” Boscha said, holding a toy in her hand. “I mean, is so gross!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at the thing Boscha’s hands and almost dropped the trail where she had placed all the things from before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did you get that?” she asked, placing the trail in the middle of the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to keep her cool, she couldn’t show Boscha anything but a cold stare at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From that shelf over there!” Boscha said, throwing the stuffed animal up and catching it. “It was hidden behind the rest of the things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, so you wouldn’t take it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Amity thought, crossing her arms. “I don’t have a problem with enchanting it, but please don’t look through my stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s what friends are for, aren’t we?” Boscha said, throwing the old small, pink and ragged, stuffed bunny to Amity’s bed. “Hey Skara, leave me some soda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at the stuffed bunny for a while, before turning to the group of girls. She just needed to resist for the night, just the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, can’t believe that this one guy tried to ask me out,” Boscha said, “like, hey peasant, I’m over your league, every single day of my life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Just the night. She just needed to resist the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s night could have gone worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being trapped by demon hunters, having a slight discussion with Willow about how unnecessary was to get back at Amity and probably breaking half of the things in the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was going to kill her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, her night wasn’t so bad. A least she wasn’t dead, and she wasn’t facing her recurring nightmares. She also wasn’t explaining anything human to Gus. The last time she had tried, Luz hadn’t been able to explain what an ‘AMV’ was and she was still frustrated about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, none of those little things erased the fact that the demon hunters tied them up and took Hooty with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hooty, you have to wake up!” Luz screamed, kicking the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being tied up there wasn’t leaving any options left, though Gus’ efforts in trying to bit them free from the ropes were looking a lot more appealing than dealing with the house demon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want this to end as you say! Three must hold hands, it’s the only way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at Hooty’s response. “Hooty, no me hables así!” She groaned and looked back. “Willow, could you help me out with Hooty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Luz,” came her friend’s voice, and it was weak… sad. “You shouldn’t ask me to help with anything…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The house shook and stopped its movement. The three of them rolled away from the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did we stop moving?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t know, but my insides didn’t,” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You know someone is messed up when they laugh while taking you out of your own house, say they’ll rip it off and sell it to a restaurant, and then proceeded to have this weird looking and behaving guy throw you off a cliff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…There were probably other signs, but Luz concentrated on those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right kids, this is the end of your short little lives!” The guy said, and Luz cringed at the happiness on his tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she have to leave her bracelet inside the house?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait!” Gus said, turning them around, “Is this really what you wanna do with your life? Throwing kids from cliffs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s a good question, Gus! Connect with him! Show him the light!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, fidgeting against the ropes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually yeah! Is been my dream since I was a boy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at him, and she was sure Gus and Willow did the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was a strange child.” He pouted, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span> he pushed them. “Whee!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That guy is the bad kind of weirdo!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their fall was stopped in a moment; Luz felt how all the air left her lungs. The roar of the waves crashing against the peak made her look down, the sea was still a few meters down them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we are not killed now, we will be when Eda finds out about the house!” Luz whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed. “I’m so sorry, Luz. You wanted to turn back but I just had to show off to Amity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The truth is… she and I used to be friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Luz said, her mind going back to all the times Amity’s actions didn’t seem to match her behavior. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s what was happening with them!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And at that moment the branch holding them cracked, what a great timing ‘Boiling isles’!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We used to play together when kids, but, when she got her magic powers and I didn’t… we stopped hanging out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gals, is now really the best time?!” Gus said and the branch cracked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed. “I just wanted to prove I was a powerful witch too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped, she couldn’t-No! She </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> stop herself from talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You helped bring a </span>
  <em>
    <span>house</span>
  </em>
  <span> to life!” Luz said rolling her eyes. “Those jerks don’t know what they are talking about! Willow, next to Eda, you are the strongest witch I know.” Luz smiled at her. “No offense, Gus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all, I know what I’m about,” he said, the branch gave in again, breaking a bit more. “This tree can’t hold us much longer!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Luz, the next five minutes of her life were so incredibly cool and ridiculous that those would be part of a story she would write on fanfiction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow reached for a root, the root grew and saved them, the plant that came out of the root practically obliterated the demon hunters. All in the spawn of three minutes or less, before she was able to even think of winning, the moon was hiding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So they ran, well, made Hooty ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think we can reach the place?” Willow asked, looking through a window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus was the one who answered. “I think we have a chance if Hooty doesn’t stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded at that. If they could just pull that off...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think you can run away from us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shivered and moved closer to the window. The leader of the demon hunters and two more of them were running after them, and they were getting close!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dang it, Willow, think you can push them off?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any plants to use! If I try conjuring some here it might hurt Hooty!” She responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just good with illusions!” He shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz panicked, looking around. The time wasn’t on their side, the place, the people… all was against them!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she felt something hitting her foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking down and found her bracelet. The piece of metal shined with a dim light of the spell covering them. She could use it, the fire owl surely could easily get rid of the demon hunters! She could save Willow and Gus’ lives!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By killing the hunters…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s mind went back to the fight against Amity, the flames, the fear…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an explosion. “Come back here, you stupid worms!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus dropped to the ground. “I’m no worm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! What do we do?” Willow asked, holding her by the shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her, what was she doing? She couldn’t think of that!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could use ice, but the power going wild could destroy the forest, she could use the plants, but the vines might hit Hooty too… the light glyph could win them time, but then they would know where to find the house!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have to use fire…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t only use fire if she wanted to escape... If she wanted to save them! If she wanted to save herself!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, they are almost here!” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was next. “What do we do?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened her eyes. She didn’t know, she was so lost, so scared, so alone…!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…But she wasn’t…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt it then, the shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her hands. She was shaking, but it wasn’t that what she felt, she felt Gus and Willow’s hands, both of them were terrified, so scared… maybe even more than her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They… They need me…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, her heart pounding faster. “They need me…” She whispered and bit her lip. “Hooty, keep moving until you reach your spot and once there, you sit and wait, got it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As the order of the three may say, I shall accomplish my mission this day!” he responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, guys, I’m fixing this,” Luz said, letting their hands go and bending down, taking her bracelet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are what?!” Both of them asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at them, closing the bracelet over her forearm. “Guys, no matter what, don’t come out of the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Luz, wait!” She heard Willow say when she crossed the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, this is suicide!” Gus said next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really hope you are wrong, buddy!” Luz then ran to the back of the house, looking at the demon hunters, they were practically over them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t get away worm!” the leader screamed, “you’ll pay for this humiliation!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, my friend need to chill!” Luz shouted back, raising her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t go all out, she needed to focus! A big flame, enough to hurt them but not kill them, so flashy that it may distract them enough for it to hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going smaller doesn’t seem to work anyway!” Luz’s hands shook, her jaw clenched with all her strength. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t mess this up, don’t mess this up… don’t be a pain for them!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are our friend, our pal!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“We like hanging out with you!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes snapped open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she thinking? Gus and Willow had already told her they liked her that they cared about her as friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m just being stupid.” Luz sighed, looking at the demon hunters again, they were practically on them. “Not anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She concentrated, the fire glyph lit up brighter than the others. Luz felt the magic flowing. How it ran through her body, the huge amount that threatened to crush her and take her away, how it dug itself in her ribcage like claws.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You are not controlling me.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, taking a deep breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not controlling you, either, no… magic is wild and unpredictable… that’s what makes it beautiful, isn’t it?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a change, not like a physical one...  But, but something changed, the flow wasn’t that furious anymore, it wasn’t that crushing sensation from before, and she wasn’t feeling breathless. Luz looked to the front, her mind going back to the owl, to the flames… to Amity and her fear, to herself and desperation that lurked in the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not this time,” Luz whispered, “this time… please, listen to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her plea was followed by her the magic flow stopping all at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The spell circle appeared, and from it, the flames came to life with a powerful screech. She saw how the fire danced, twisting itself until it took the form that had haunted so many nights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl left out a screech and dived towards the demons hunters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” the leader screamed, making a spell circle, a barrier, “you were supposed to be just a bunch of worms!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, but this is the ‘Owl House’!” Luz shouted, lowering her hands. “We are birds of prey! Not worms!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl screeched again, bating its wings and using its peak to take the leader of the hunters flying after the other retreating two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and fist-pumped the air. “Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and moved to run back inside the house. But her strength left her at that moment, her legs gave-in under her, and she prepared herself to meet the ground face first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When two pairs of hands caught her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, girl! That was amazing!” Gus shouted, his eyes sparkling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow pulled her up, passing Luz’s arm over her shoulders. “You may say I’m the other must powerful witch you know, but Luz, I think leaving yourself out of that scale is a bit unfair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe… But thing is, I can’t control it pretty well…” Luz said, “that wasn’t supposed to be that big…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can tell us about it when we are back to where Hooty is supposed to be,” Gus offered, “‘cause we need to cross a long distance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and nodded, pushing herself inside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their night still hasn’t ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t believe you almost lost me in a game of cards!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already said I was sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not enough!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and passed a hand over her face. She couldn’t believe her curse started to kick once she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside </span>
  </em>
  <span>the night market.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that she got scammed by a pig, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But having </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>house walking over his stand and saving the day? Eda could count the number of times she got that surprised with her hands, and now she needed more fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do with Luz?” King asked when they spotted the house. “She did make Hooty walk out of his place…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, I’m thinking.” Eda sighed. “And I did tell her to keep her power on check.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t she </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>being able to do that the whole problem?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh, King could think when he wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda got her hand to her chin; Luz did have that problem, to begin with. And Eda had given her the permission being conscious about it… what happened was partially her fault, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh, having a kid was worse than she expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least the house was in its place, thankfully. She walked up to the door, still considering how to react at all… that. She could be mad about Luz moving her house, right? She didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to, but she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Sorry, Luz!” That was nitwit number two… Gus, was it? “Your mom is going to be so mad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda would understand… I think.” And that was nitwit number one, Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope she does…” And there was Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least the three kids were OK.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure you are OK? We can clean up.” Gus again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s voice came out like a whine. “I’m OK, it was just a little drowsiness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet, you used a lot of magic,” Willow said, “That fire thing was huge Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Magic? Fire?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought and froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you guys, it was nothing!” Luz shouted and something fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow’s voice came after a ‘click’ sound. “Luz, you almost passed out after blasting that thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Willow, I was there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should rest-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not until we at least finish with the living room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda opened the door at the moment. The living room was a mess, but not something she couldn’t have done on her own. The three teens froze at her appearance and Eda went straight for the cause of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz started to shiver and got her hoodie up. “Eda! Hey, l-look, funny things happened and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK?” she asked, holding her by the shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK? How comes you did magic? I told you not to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I’m OK Eda, nothing’s wrong!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why were dingus one and two talking about you passing out?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are exaggerating!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked away and Eda stopped. She looked at her own hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Sorry, Kiddo…” Eda sighed, letting her go. “What happened here? How comes you animated my house?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… I kinda left my bracelet out of the spell and didn’t want to place magic on the spell… but it went in anyway?” Luz explained, pulling her hoodie down. “To be fair, Willow’s powers are strong, really strong!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Don’t blame me for the spell!” Willow said, getting next to Luz. “But… It was our fault that the house went that far away… Miss. Eda, please don’t get mad at Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you are going to eat me, do it now!” Gus said, getting between her and Luz. “Do it now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at them and sighed, she needed to be… </span>
  <em>
    <span>responsible</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ugh, never thought I’ll have to do this!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought and made a spell. “Well, you are all guilty so y’all be punished, with cleaning my house from top to bottom!” She ordered. “And one more thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t play with King in your room anymore!” Luz screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You did…? No, no!” Eda said, shaking her head. “That was totally amazing magic Kiddo, I’m definitely joining you for the next year conjuring… now get to work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled when the three of them moved around, starting to clean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took them all night but the kids did manage to get Hooty in a decent state before sitting on the couch along with her. Luz was looking at the photos Gus had taken that night with his scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh man, I wish I could use mind, this is so nice…” Eda heard Luz whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you try?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah? Did you forget what happened when I tried?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but, for what you told me, now you have a little more control over your magic, don’t ya?” Eda took Luz’s scroll from the table and offered it to her. “Maybe you can actually use this without blinding us now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the thing as if it’ll bite her and sighed before taking it in her hands. Gus and Willow were far too busy sleeping on the floor to notice her struggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure about this, Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I trust you kiddo,” she responded, placing a hand on her shoulder, “just go easy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and closed her eyes. Eda saw the bracelet shine and then the scroll; it was a small light, almost fading when appearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She did manage to go low…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, looking at the scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stayed with her eyes closed a few seconds before she spoke. “Is it super bright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, kiddo, you are doing great,” Eda said and bit back a laugh. “Just push a bit more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O…O-OK…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw the thing shine, and it was really bright, but not at the level of the morning. She also saw, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>heard</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz muttering something so low that she couldn’t catch it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the scroll was working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, Kid! You did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened one eye to look down at the scroll. “I…I did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, would you look at that?!” Eda patted her on the head. “Seems like you are learning faster than I thought!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I did it!” Luz shouted, raising her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her bracelet went into overdrive; making a huge light spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! My eyes, my eyes!” Eda heard Gus scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the end?! Is it the end of the ‘Boiling isles’?!!” That was Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King just had to get the last word. “Who dares to attack the King of demons?! Show yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well… just one step at time…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, covering her eyes and turning down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was going one step at a time, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not being able to make the actual conjuring got Amity in a bad mood. So bad that she just went and moved away from the group to stare out the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was a prodigy, wasn’t she? Something like a moonlight conjuring should’ve been easy!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, look at this!” Skara called them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at them, her eyes landed on Boscha, the incredulous face was more than enough to make her walk up to them and looked at the scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that… Willow’s account?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did a conjuring?” Boscha said, and the surprise in her voice seemed to be mixed with something else Amity couldn’t recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t matter; it was gone as soon as it came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, as if, this has to be a fake… moreover, that house was the one that messed up with me!” Boscha added, scrolling down the photos. “There’s no way that loser could’ve been on that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you are right, it’s obviously a lie!” Skara said, though her eyes never left the ground and… why was she gripping her robe so hard?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever, Amity was just so… irritated. Willow had proven to have immense potential as a witch many times already, and Boscha still tried to sell her a ‘half-a-witch’ just to feel superior? There had to be a limit, but apparently, Boscha wasn’t at hers yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But even though Amity would recognize Willow’s talent, she knew the girl couldn’t pull off something like that… alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she also knew that Willow did have help.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is true, same as the fact that we couldn’t even move a doll.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought with a frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ‘half-a-witch’ is just so lame!” Boscha said and broke into a fit of laugher. “Animating a house? Really? Who would believe such a lie?” She started to move the stuffed animal they had tried to enchant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>growled</span>
  </em>
  <span> at her. It was one of the few things she had left from…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Skara said then, cutting her thoughts short. “Who would…?” the bard witch added in a small whisper, looking at her scroll. “Who would…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity closed her fists at those words, and her jaw clenched to a point where her teeth hurt her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shut up…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, her shoulders shivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How sad is that she even got the little kid and that weirdo on it with her?” Boscha went again. “She can’t even get normal friends!” Boscha said, throwing the stuffed animal out by the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity had moved before she registered it, there must have been three, four, maybe five seconds before she was conscious of the fact that all the girls were gaping, all but one, that’s it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha… What?” Boscha said, getting a hand up to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was sure she was glaring at her, and her hand raised made everything easier to comprehend, she stood there, in silence, nobody daring to move a muscle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Amity…?” Boscha said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t take it anymore. “Get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get, out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of… of the room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity snapped at the question. “Get out of my </span>
  <em>
    <span>house!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a sudden movement in the entire room, and not even twenty seconds later all the girls were out. Amity walked to her window and looked outside, the small stuffed bunny had fallen on the counter yard. She summoned her abomination and got it to take the bunny, throwing it back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are OK, don’t worry…” She hugged it once it was back in her hands. “Sorry for that, Daisy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The toy was special, too special. She still remembered the day she got it, the day she got the last thing Willow ever gave her. That small bunny was the only physical memory of their friendship she could still keep with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity placed the toy in its place, behind all the things her parents bought the following years, extravagant stuffed animals and dolls that served to divert the attention from the only thing she really cared about on the whole shelf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her life was just like that, full of useless things covering the real ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s scroll buzzed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the thing. It could be Boscha looking for an explanation, or Skara just concerned about her… and what Boscha would do to her. Maybe it was her mother wanting to know how the reunion had gone, or maybe, just maybe, those were her siblings who just so happened to have gone out that night to cause mischief in some poor place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anyway, she should at the very least look at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t expecting the notification of a new follower on Penstagram, thought, even less the name that appeared in it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn… Clawthorne?” she read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only Clawthorne she knew was Lilith, and the other was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda the ‘Owl lady’...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling how the cold sweat rolled down her spine and the blood ran away from her. Amity pressed the name, the time charging to see the profile felt like an eternity. She closed her eyes when it did charge, too afraid to face what could be there… but in the end, her curiosity got the best of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw… Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?” she whispered, looking at the profile picture of the girl and the small demon along with a small owl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrolled through the posts. She faced a lot of photos of Willow, Gus, and Luz, all of them laughing, smiling, or scolding. She even found a video where they were cleaning what she supposed was the ‘Owl House’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?” Amity said, smiling awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked stupid! Ridiculous! Dumb! Like morons! They looked… they looked…!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked… free, young</span>
  <em>
    <span>… happy…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>All she wasn’t feeling that night with all her ‘friends’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Lucelyn, is a weird name,” Amity said, sitting on her bed, “…but… it suits her, I think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She followed her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora walked around the castle of the emperor’s coven with calm steps, her boiling cup of apple blood in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The night shifts for the guards were her favorites, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be tired of them every now and then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, that can’t be real!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is my cousin from the construction coven sent it to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped to look at the newest recruits who were facing a scroll and sighed. Making a spiel she took over the control of the device. Both guards panicked when catching sight of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shall consider your position when doing something like this,” she said, “Emperor Belos would…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the image on the scroll and froze; her cup almost fell out of her grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Miss. Kikimora?” one of the guards talked. “Could I get my scroll back…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she said, turning her back on them. “Consider it your punishment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dashed away from them with that. She had to go with the emperor immediately, there was no time left to lose. She turned all the corners and practically burst through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora…” Emperor Belos greeted, “what’s the matter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord, I had come to show you something.” She kneeled, showing the scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are aware, Kiki, that I don’t concern myself with this… ‘fashion’ most witches use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is about the Clawthorne offspring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Oh…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The emperor took the scroll, his eyes surely looking at the same picture she had seen when she took the device.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Clawthorne girl, at least a girl with the description she had gathered so far, using the moon magic to animated a whole house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her friends don’t seem to appear on the image,” Emperor Belos commented, “and is a lovely shade of red the one that covers her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could look into them if it’s your wish, my lord.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need,” he said, throwing the scroll back at her. “The friends are not relevant… the girl, she is growing… getting ready each day that passes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be ready Kiki,” he said, and his voice almost sounded…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Happy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the Titan had spoken to me again…” he continued, “this kid… the Titan had told me what this, ‘Clawthorne’, shall become…” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And here we have it, folks! Amity broke, and now Belos is getting his hands into the action!<br/>Now, we also have Willow with issues, Amity with issues, and Luz has issues too, can you guess who is getting them next?!<br/>Really, I want y'all to guess, really. <br/>Anyway, happy about finally posting this, since you know what comes by next week... LUMITY!!!!!!!<br/>I mean, this story is still a long way to go, but the Lumity, for me, started in chapter seven, so I'll also go with seven, just for luck. stay tuned, because the romance is in the air... I'm actually going to play that. Kinda thinking of leaving you a list with music in both, English and Spanish for the next chapter, let me know if you'd like it!<br/>Anyway, that would be all!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Breaking Into Language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Luz is given the task of covering the blind spots of Eda's and her's hustle about being Mother and Daugther, the half witch needs to go into the 'Boiling Isles' Library. But the mission is bigger than she expected when she is faced with Amity Blight... and her siblings.<br/>All while an unknown force lurks into the shadows.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody who dares to read this and that I love ya all for it!<br/>So, this week we have LUMITY!!!!!<br/>Thou, is a slow burn in this fic so yeah, you'll see this with glory or disappointment I think, I don't know. Anyway! This chapter is one of my favorites in the whole world from season 1A so I really liked writing it, even when I changed a lot of things, it still will resemble the cannon a bit, so be prepared for it!<br/>No more to say, thank you, thank you.<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House or their characters don't belong to me and this work is made with only the purpose of entertainment for the readers and your writer here.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Things that we keep to ourselves are meant only for two pairs of eyes and ears.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Our past selves and the people we became when we come back to them.”</em> </b>
</p><p>“‘Azura’, Hecate began. ‘Our paths have crossed only in battle! But today I stand before you seeking, an ally’.” Luz read and pointed down to King. “Ah…”</p><p>King groaned. “Luz, you are going all swoony again.”</p><p>“I can’t help it,” Luz said. “Azura is able to befriend, everyone! Even her biggest rival… I wish I had that kind of power.”</p><p>“Rivals are meant to be annihilated, not befriended. Now keep reading! I’ve been sucked into your awful fandom.”</p><p>Luz smiled at the little demon before nodding. Having him as the only person, creature, or whatever, that she could share that kind of thing with made those little moments really important to her.</p><p><em> “I wish I could discuss it with someone else, though.” </em>Luz thought, opening the book again. “‘Suddenly, the door swung open!’”</p><p>There were no better words to describe the next thing that happened as Hooty did just that.</p><p>“Ding-dong-ding, Hoot-Hoot!”</p><p>In a single motion, King stood up while pointing at her. “The book has come to life! Burn it!”</p><p>“I’m not burning my book! Are you crazy?” Luz snapped back. “I…I’ll just go and see who’s on the door.”</p><p>Luz left the book on the coffee table and walked towards the open door, but when she looked out, she didn’t find anyone.</p><p>“Weird…”</p><p>“Ah...”</p><p>Luz’s ears perked up at the little voice, and she looked down, finding a small basket. “Uh? It’s not heavy at al…” she whispered once she lifted it.</p><p>“What is it? Is it a trap?” King asked from the couch.</p><p>“Nah, is just a basket,” she said once she closed the door. “Better get it to Eda…”</p><p>“If it’s an offering it should be for me!” King shouted, going after her.</p><p>“What are y'all talking about? I’m trying to cook dinner here!” Eda said when they got inside the kitchen.</p><p>“You got a package!” Luz replied, leaving the ‘present’ on the counter. “It looks like a gift basket!”</p><p>“A package? Gifts?” Eda repeated. “Ja, what do ya know? Being the most powerful witch on the boiling isles has its perks.”</p><p>King moved and uncovered the basket. </p><p>To be fair, Luz could’ve expected many things, it was the ‘Boiling Isles’ after all… but believe her when she said, she didn’t expect a baby.</p><p>King was pretty fast to accept it, though. “Yes! Fresh meat.”</p><p>Luz gaped at him before looking away. “No, not even that.”</p><p>“Witches eating babies is so sixteen ninety-three,” Eda commented nonchalantly. “What is this?”</p><p>“There is a note,” King said, showing them the paper. “‘Take care of my child ‘til morning. Yi-Yi’.”</p><p>“Nope, babies are awful, not happening.”</p><p>“But I’m a baby!” Luz said, cupping her own cheeks with her hands. “Am I awful, <em> mom? </em>”</p><p>“Ugh, you’ll never let live that down, will ya?” Eda sighed. “Well, since the family thing is something right now. I got news for you, <em> Lucelyn.” </em></p><p>“News?”</p><p>Eda nodded and made a spell circle. “I need you to take back the books I checked from the library.”</p><p>“What?” Luz asked, and a tower of books fell in her arms. “What does this have to do with family?”</p><p>“The library opened the archives today, so now all birth certifications are accessible to everybody.”</p><p>Luz stared at her. “Birth certification? Like, birth certifies, family records, and stuff?”</p><p>"Also contracted demons for the new-born baby and blood pacts with ancestors," King commented.</p><p>“Yeah, I need you to do two things,” Eda said and gave her a sealed folder. “You are passing by my child only by name right now, so I need you to sneak this in, so people won’t be suspicious about ya.”</p><p>“You want me to forge <em> my </em> birth certificate?!”</p><p>“Kid, if we don’t’ do it, is just a matter of time for some stupid revenge seeker to look you up and discover you are not mine!” Eda pointed out. “And where do you think that would leave you?”</p><p><em> “In a lot of problems.” </em>Luz thought, grimacing. “I get it.”</p><p>“‘Sides, there is another thing,” Eda commented, “you can take a look at the disappearance records.”</p><p>“Disappearance records?”</p><p>“Is the information of every witch reported lost during the last fifty years,” King—surprisingly—explained. “The emperor established the system to hunt wild witches.”</p><p>“But it also works to find out if someone went on a little trip, for, let’s say, three months?” Eda added.</p><p>Luz’s eyes opened a bit more at that. “You think I could get a lead on my missing parent?!”</p><p>“Only one way to find out, kiddo,” Eda said, shrugging. “Now, hush you, I need to figure out how to get rid of this baby thing.”</p><p>“There is more to the note, you know?” King said.</p><p>Eda turned at him. “More?”</p><p>“Yeah, it says ‘you’ll be handsomely rewarded, XOXO The Bat Queen’, uh, weird signature.”</p><p>“Bat queen?” Eda asked while closing distance and looking at the gold coins King now had in his paw. “Reward?”</p><p>“Who is ‘The Bat Queen’?” Luz asked, balancing the books.</p><p>“Just the wealthiest demon in the 'Boiling Isles’,” Eda told her. “Get in with her and you’re set for life! So, we keep this thing alive for a few hours and we get paid? Puff, easy.”</p><p><em> “Oh, that’s not true at all.” </em>Luz thought, walking to the door. “Well, I better get to the library, have luck, bye!”</p><p>Luz was extremely happy to have gotten a few meters away from the house when the screaming and crying started.</p><p>“Good luck guys,” Luz whispered, walking towards town.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Bonesborough was relatively quiet that day when Luz got into town.</p><p>She walked past Aaron’s store, and smiled at the sight of Willow helping him out. The plant witch seemed busy with all the work that before had been hers. Luz wouldn’t lie, the work she made for the Park’s had been fun, also, it helped her to feel useful, and sure, she missed it a bit.</p><p>But Willow looked happy, and that was enough compensation for her.</p><p>“There are things that have to be done by family,” Luz whispered when Willow helped the plants in the front to bloom.</p><p>She couldn’t spend much time looking, sadly.</p><p>Luz strolled while looking around until she reached the main plaza, there she caught sight of a small demon charging with a book three times their size. With a bit of pity, Luz took the street the demon had come from and followed until she saw a huge building with people getting in and out while charging books.</p><p>“I’ll be surprised if this is not the place…” She said, walking in.</p><p>The tower of books in her hands started to move before she gave five steps inside; she walked to the reception while tailing the books. There, she saw a man with glasses and grey hair; checking the books with magic.</p><p>“Late, late,” he said and took a book from the floating line; he frowned after passing a finger over it. “Coffee grease <em> and </em> bloodstains? These are Eda’s aren’t they?”</p><p>Luz let out a shaky laugh. “That was a crazy night…”</p><p>“Ah… I’ll put them on her tab.”</p><p>Luz then saw him make a scroll appear, the thing was <em> long </em>.</p><p>“By the way.” He talked again while writing on the scroll, pointing at the wall behind him. “We are closing early by the wailing star meteor shower.”</p><p>Luz turned to look at the poster and grinned. “Oh, what’s that?”</p><p>The man stared at her after finishing with his notes and sighed, making the scroll disappear.</p><p>“You are in a library,” he pointed out. “Read a book.”</p><p>“...I am in the library. I will read a book!” Luz said, moving aside.</p><p>Although she was forgetting something; Luz stopped and turned back, the librarian was already reading a book when she did.</p><p>“Excuse me,” Luz called him, playing with her fingers. “Can you tell me where the birth registers are?”</p><p>The librarian closed his book to look at her. “And why would you want to know that?”</p><p>“Am…School project?”</p><p>“…Pretty well,” he said while shrugging. “Those are passing the ‘Kids’ Corner’ at the back, you can’t miss it. And you better do your project fast.”</p><p>“Why so?”</p><p>“The Emperor’s coven has asked for the registers. Those shall be sent tomorrow morning before we open.”</p><p>Luz’s eyes winded, Eda couldn’t be righter about people digging around. She needed to move, <em> fast </em>.</p><p>Turning and dashing to the first bookshelf, Luz looked over her shoulder. “Thanks!”</p><p>With a pretty mean ‘shush’ as a reply, she was in her way. Her mission could be ruined if she didn’t get to the archives soon; she knew that it was something incredibly important, too. </p><p>But who could blame her for getting distracted? She was in an <em> actual </em> magical library!</p><p>Luz wandered for a while, looking at the research areas, the fiction section, that crazy flying line of books, and even the reference area. Everything in there was tedious; yet, so magical in its tediousness!</p><p>“This place is amazing!” Luz practically sang. “OK, OK. You have work to do, Luz. Not more distractions.” She told herself while looking around. “Now, where did the librarian say those archives were?”</p><p>“Just what do you think you are doing?!” A voice asked.</p><p>“Oh no! I’ve been caught! Pretend to be a book.” Luz said and smashed herself against a bookshelf. “…Wait a minute…”</p><p>Luz moved towards the voice, looking over the corner of a hallway she saw the ‘children area’ of the library.</p><p>And Amity there, reading.</p><p>Luz stared “Wow…”</p><p>She got closer, the smile on her face growing with every step.</p><p>Amity was smiling in a way Luz had never seen her before; like, well… like she was enjoying what she was doing. The kids moved closer to the edge of their seats with every word she said and Luz found the little book in the other teen’s hands pretty cute, even if she didn’t have a clue about what ‘Odabin’’ was.</p><p><em> “She looks adorable.” </em>Luz thought, hugging herself.</p><p>“‘So bookmaker Odabin, surrounded by friends, bound the book of friendship, and that’s the end’,” Amity said, closing the book.</p><p>All the kids stood up and started to laugh, giggle, and hug her.</p><p>Luz did almost pass out? Yes, yes she did…didn’t? Who cared? That scene was just too cute!</p><p>“Amity seems so nice, and smiley. Maybe I can befriend her, for real this time! Just like Azura and her rival!” Luz whispered.</p><p>She hid when the kids ran in her direction, though. Luz watched Amity wave them goodbye and walked out of her little hiding spot. She didn’t need to hide, to begin with, right?</p><p>Unless Amity was mad at her for, well, almost killing her! </p><p>Maybe she could still hide? </p><p>“Goodbye Miss. Amity, thank you!” said one of the kids hugging the witch.</p><p>Amity smiled at him. “Thank you, Braxus, see you next time.”</p><p>Amity turned and saw Luz at that moment.</p><p>“Amity…” Luz said with a shaky smile, hiding no longer an option. “Reading to kids, huh? Looks like this sour lemon drop has a sweet center!”</p><p>Ugh, really? She sounded like some dumb baby's show!</p><p>“It’s for extra credit, Luz,” Amity said while hugging the book in her hands and looking away.</p><p>Luz saw something changing in Amity’s eyes a second later.</p><p>“Hey, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing!” Amity moved away, still not looking at her. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I was-“</p><p>“Look, you know what? Don’t care. Could you just leave me alone?”</p><p>Luz stared at her. “Why?”</p><p>“No offense… well, maybe a bit ‘offense’, but, any time you come near me, <em> I </em>get in trouble,” Amity said, turning to face her. “So please, could you leave me alone?”</p><p>“I…I see,” Luz said, looking down. “I’m sorry…”</p><p>Luz turned away and groaned to herself. She had to read things wrong with people at some point, right? The fact that Gus and Willow were her friends was enough, she didn’t need more friends… She couldn’t make more friends.</p><p>“So much for befriending rivals…” Luz whispered, placing her fist on her forehead. “I should just look for the birth certificates…”</p><p>“Are you gonna let her get you like that?”</p><p>Luz stopped and looked around, she found two almost identical teens wearing Hexside’s uniform, both of them were grinning at her.</p><p>Luz hugged herself. “Who are you?”</p><p>Both of them closed the distance, never once they stopped smiling.</p><p>“We are witches on a mission,” the boy said.</p><p>The girl got <em> too </em>close to her face. “A noble quest!”</p><p>“Watch this,” he finished their little monologue; he raised a hand with one of the cutest bags Luz had ever seen. “Hey, Mittens! Mom says stop forgetting your lunch!”</p><p>Luz saw how Amity tensed and turned, and, wow, could her face really go that red?</p><p>“And stop being a jerk to your friend,” he added when Amity took the bag from his hands.</p><p>“She is not my friend,” Amity said, then she looked at her. “Isn’t that right, <em> Lucelyn?” </em></p><p>Luz’s eyes went wide at the remark.</p><p>She had forgotten that Amity wasn’t aware of who she was, not even who she was pretending to be!</p><p>Luz felt the guilt downing through her throat like a brick. “Amity, wait…”</p><p>“Yeah, makes sense,” the twin girl said, placing her hands on Luz’s shoulders. “She seems too cool for you.”</p><p>Luz was snapped out of her thoughts by that. “I am?”</p><p>“You can leave now!” Amity told them and then glared at Luz. “All of you!”</p><p>Both twins laughed it off while pulling her along while Luz looked back at Amity. The twin girl tapped on her shoulder and smiled while the boy made Luz’s awkwardness rise by winking at her.</p><p>Luz did blush, no point in hiding that.</p><p>“We better move, before she comes back to lecture us,” the boy said, and both twins were walking away with Luz behind them. “So, you are the girl we had heard so much about.”</p><p>“You heard about me?”</p><p>“Yeah, hardly someone hasn’t.” The girl stepped in. “I’m Emira, and this is Edric. We are Amity’s older siblings.”</p><p><em> “That does explain some things.” </em>Luz thought, smiling at them. “I’m Lu-.” She stopped, Amity had already pointed out her problem with names.</p><p>Better not make it worse.</p><p>“I’m Lucelyn Clawthorne,” she finally said.</p><p>“We know,” Emira replied. “We also heard about how you embarrassed her in that witch's event a few weeks ago. No wonder she hates you.”</p><p>And guilt was back.</p><p>“I know, but I didn’t mean any of it!” Luz rushed to say. “I thought we were as cool as cucumbers! But we are as sour as pickles…” she sighed. “And I didn’t embarrass her! She fought an incredible fight!”</p><p>“With help of a power glyph,” Edric replied, making Luz flinch.</p><p>“Anyway,” Emira cut in. “Don’t waste your time with Mittens, me and Ed. We are way more fun! Follow us.”</p><p>Luz looked at the twins for a second before Emira took her wrist and pulled her along. She looked back in the direction of the ‘kids’ corner’, but that time Amity wasn’t there.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>“You just had to do it, right?” Amity groaned and sat on the small table outside the library.</p><p>She just had to go and attack Luz-Lucelyn... whatever!</p><p>Amity sighed and started to eat, trying to concentrate on her food; however, her mind kept going back to the conversation—even when it wasn’t much of one—she just had with Luz and the incredibly <em> opportune </em> entrance of her siblings.</p><p>Edric and Emira always made things worse.</p><p>Amity closed her eyes and repressed a scream. She looked down and conjured her scroll, her finger running over the paper and stopping at the ‘Penstagram’ app.</p><p>Amity had stayed in all day after the failure of conjuring, just staring at her ceiling while trying to think how she could deal with Boscha and her group after her little outbreak; her mind also took her through her mother’s possible reaction, and while all those things had kept her pacing...</p><p>The deal with Luz… Lucelyn had been the most nerve-wracking of all her problems.</p><p>It did make sense, sadly enough. Eda The 'Owl Lady’ was a wanted criminal, a witch that rejected the coven system, so why would she want her daughter in Hexside? Lucelyn could go by with learning wild magic.</p><p>And yet… and yet she looked too happy to be inside the walls of the school.</p><p>Amity bit back a groan and pushed her food away. “Why is it all so complicated?”</p><p>She should just get over it. Lucelyn was fraternizing with a criminal…! But she couldn’t choose who her mother was…</p><p>It was all so messed up.</p><p>Amity looked again to her phone and sighed, finally opening the app. The first image was Boscha and the rest of her little gang smiling. She didn’t bother to read the message at the photo's foot and went to her followers. Since that night, the name she was looking for was on top of the list.</p><p>Lucelyn Clawthorne.</p><p>Amity entered the profile, finding photos of a small demon cuddle on himself—King if she remembered correctly—and Lucelyn herself doing some stupid things like throwing rocks at the sea; she even saw some photos with Willow and that kid, Augustus, all of them smiling to the camera.</p><p>But it was different.</p><p>Different from Boscha’s gang perfect shoots. They smiled in goofy ways, doing stupid things in stupid places. Who needed to take a photo of her friend stuck on a window? And how come that Augustus account had liked the photo being <em> him </em> the one who got stuck?</p><p>They didn’t make any sense!</p><p>Amity scoffed while making the scroll disappear and looking back down to her food. After looking at the ridiculous chaos of Luz photos, even her little lunch seemed... too perfect.</p><p>Just as she needed to be, there was no place for liars in her life.</p><p>No place for someone like Lucelyn.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz screwed up, and big time!</p><p>She hadn’t placed the forged birth certificate on the archives, she didn’t even try! And she didn’t look up the disappearing reports either!</p><p>She just played around!</p><p><em> “Eda is never going to let me live this down…” </em> She thought and covered her face with her hand.</p><p>Edric and Emira were still laughing and Luz couldn’t believe herself. Sure, those two had been incredibly fun to hang out with. But she had a job! Scratch that, she had <em> two </em> jobs!</p><p>Also…</p><p>“Amity is even madder at me now!” she whined, “I didn’t think that was possible.”</p><p>Edric stopped laughing and looked at her. “No, when Mittens gets mad, it looks like this.” He started to hold his breath and his face got red after a minute. “Wow, I almost passed out,” he said after taking a deep breath.</p><p>“You are pretty fun, Lucelyn,” Emira said.</p><p>She looked at her twin and both of them nodded, smiling.</p><p>“Hey, we’re coming back tonight. There is a book we forgot to… check out.”</p><p>Edric followed up his sister’s words. “And, bonus! Rumor has it the 'Wailing Star’ is supposed to unlock some kinda rare magical event. You in? Friend.”</p><p>Luz stared at them and pinched herself. Her luck couldn’t be that good, right? Of course, trespassing was bad, and <em> hell </em> she didn’t want more things in her conscience when she just managed the nightmares… somewhat.</p><p>But she didn’t have many choices god damn it!</p><p>Luz nodded. Smiling as natural—still awkward—as she could at the twins, begging they couldn’t read her mind.</p><p>Edric's smile turned into a goofy grin. “Great, meet back here at midnight! See you, Lucelyn!”</p><p>Luz watched them go and sighed when they were out of sight. Luz left a long groan out while leaning against one of the entrance pillars, she slid until she was sitting on the ground and then got the bent folder out from her pocket and stared at it.</p><p>“Making friends on committing crimes… never thought my life would be written by a manga artist.”</p><p>How could she do that? Forgery, trespassing, even… stealing? No, the twins were borrowing the book, they would return it! Yeah! She didn’t need to worry about them!</p><p>But she was going to forge the community registers.</p><p>“My moral values are going to kill me. Or get me killed,” Luz muttered and stood up. “Anyway, better to get my bag from home if I’m going to be doing something like this… am I really doing this?”</p><p>She would have a mental breakdown before nightfall, by the look of it.</p><p>“…At least I’ll see some really good magic,” She whispered, looking back at the library and walking away.</p><p>She nodded to herself and started her way back to the ‘Owl House’. If Eda was still dealing with the baby, they wouldn’t be cooking lunch together that day.</p><p>Luz had found cooking with Eda relaxing at first, but when their opinions on what was ‘good’ differed, the same relaxing work became a battlefield. She still remembered the time she tried to make meatballs and Eda turned the dish into something Luz will for the rest of her life think as fish.</p><p>“Better hurry…” She said, starting to run.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Amity was pretty sure her life was about to get problematic when she heard the noise from the main area of the library, even if it was already past the closing hours.</p><p>She had stayed behind to clean after the harsh mission that was having Edric and Emira with a plus one in the library, they’d messed up so many things that her work got delayed and the main area needed a deep cleaning process. In the end, it didn’t matter how much she loved the library and how relaxing it was, she just wanted to get everything done and fixed before the place opened up.</p><p>“Edric, stop playing with that duck!”</p><p>“He is my best friend now, sister!”</p><p><em> “They really came.” </em>Amity mentally groaned, she hadn’t expected them to actually show up after all the little numbers they put up that afternoon.</p><p>Sure, she had somewhat heard them talking about coming back when they were kicked out, but she hadn’t expected them to go and pull it off. Edric and Emira had a pretty short attention span with their pranks, always jumping to the next one before most of them actually affected the target.</p><p>Usually her.</p><p>“Let’s just get this over with…” She sighed while turning a corner to the main area of the library.</p><p>She did <em> not </em> expect the group of birds that flew directly to her face.</p><p>Amity’s nightmare just got worse by the minute since with each step she gave, a new stupid <em> impossible </em> thing happened. An inexplicable rain indoors in the fantasy area, to a little fairy princess burning a small witch on a stake in the middle of the reference section, to the most annoying bard Amity had ever been forced to hear.</p><p>She was about to lose her mind when she heard <em> them </em>.</p><p>Amity walked in the direction of the romance section; and there, she found the door to her hideaway open; she moved, impulsed by the panic, however, before she could even phantom going inside, there was something, a sound, like a crash.</p><p>“Why would you start to drop things?!” Amity heard a shout. “Isn’t this your hideaway?”</p><p>“We don’t hang out in the library,” Edric replied, and then he mocked <em>her</em>. “Uh. Teacher, I’m in love with a dictionary!”</p><p>Emira was not far behind. “I’m studying the ‘Dork arts’! No, this is Amity’s secret hideaway.”</p><p>Amity closed her fists and repressed a scream.</p><p>How could they?!</p><p>She could take them entering her room, messing with her during her extra credits work, even their stupid pranks at school, she could take that, but getting into the only place that she could consider private?!</p><p>They were the worst.</p><p>“Mittens has gotten too... full of herself. She keeps tattling us when we skip class.” Edric said.</p><p>“She needs to learn not to mess with people like that,” Emira added next. “so we are going to find her diary.”</p><p> “And then paste the pages around school for everyone to see.”</p><p>They were going to what?!</p><p>“Wait, isn’t that taking it a bit too far?” the third person finally dared to speak up.</p><p><em> “Lucelyn… How could I be so stupid…?” </em>Amity cursed under her breath at that thought.</p><p>Of course, she was with Edric and Emira after how she treated her, Amity was too naïve to think the girl had a little any kind of respect for her; but then again, why would she? Amity hasn’t been nice with her, not even a little.</p><p>They did share a moment, but a moment against her attitude the rest of their interactions wouldn’t hold a candle… it didn’t do it, period.</p><p>“Well, I don’t see a diary in here, nope, nothing. Guys, let’s leave…” that was Lucelyn trying to… help? Why? “Wait, are those? Yes, they are! Azura books one to four!”</p><p>Amity felt her cheeks heating up. Why did she know the books? And why did Amity have to have them on display?! Edric and Emira would never let her live it down, they just knew she liked them and already made hell out of it!</p><p>“I didn’t know you could get this on the Boiling Isles’!”</p><p>Amity tensed when the place went silent, a few seconds later, she heard a… fight? And then, she heard her own voice, her secrets!</p><p>They opened her diary.</p><p>“This is it!” Both twins said, making her flinch.</p><p>“Lucelyn, were you hiding this from us?” Emira asked.</p><p>Edric talked next. “You’ve seen how she treats people, how she treats you.”</p><p>“I know, I know!” Lucelyn shouted. “Believe me, I know Amity can be kinda cold. But <em> nobody </em>deserves this, these are her private thoughts, things she trusts nobody would ever read. We can’t do something as heartless as this! Let’s… Let’s put it back and leave.”</p><p>Amity peeked inside the room. She saw Lucelyn struggling against her siblings for her dairy.</p><p>“She needs this!” Edric said.</p><p>“No, she doesn’t! You are just trying to hurt her!” Lucelyn responded.</p><p>Emira pulled harder, making Lucelyn stumble. “Is for her own good!”</p><p>“Nobody that ever said that phrase did things for the person, they just say it as an excuse!”</p><p>Amity’s eyes went wide at that moment for two reasons. The conviction and… hurt, in Lucelyn words, and also the fact that her dairy’s pages started to fall from it. Her thoughts once again spilled themselves, just, this time it was around the floor and in an even messier way.</p><p>“Oh no!” Lucelyn said and got to her knees trying to recover all the pages.</p><p>Amity stepped in at that moment. In front of her, a desperate Lucelyn still tried to gather all the pages, and farther inside the room, Edric and Emira… laughing at her, or Lucelyn, or both.</p><p>Who cared anymore?</p><p>“Really?!” </p><p>Lucelyn managed to get all the pages before looking up at her. “Is not what it looks like!”</p><p>Amity saw her stand up and glared at her siblings who couldn’t—or didn’t want to—stop giggling.</p><p>“You two, are the worst!” She said to them and then she turned to Lucelyn. “But you…”</p><p>“Amity.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>That got all of them silent.</p><p>“I…I heard you talking to them. How you tried to stop them, even when I haven’t been the most cooperative or just friendlier witch… you tried to protect me,” she explained and extended her hands to Lucelyn, the girl gave her her diary and its pages after a moment of hesitation. “So… thanks.”</p><p>“N-No… No problem…” Lucelyn said, looking away. “I don’t mind it, you being like you are, I guess you have your reasons. But nobody should have to face something like that.”</p><p>Amity smiled a little before she turned towards her siblings; both of them were still gaping at her.</p><p>“Get lost, would you?” She said, getting the dairy and its lost pages closer to her.</p><p>Emira was the first to snap. “Well, that was boring. Mittens, you killed the fun.”</p><p>“Again,” Edric finally said, shaking his head. “Oh well, we are gonna go do some Goblin zipping, wanna come?”</p><p>Amity turned to Lucelyn, who was glaring at her siblings. “You’re just gonna leave?”</p><p>“Yeah, with you,” Emira replied, taking her by the arm.</p><p>“No!” Lucelyn said, stepping away from her sister and closer to Amity. “Look, you guys are cool. But I can’t just leave the mess we did behind.”</p><p>“You are going to clean?” Edric asked.</p><p>“Yeah, because is the right thing to do,” Lucelyn responded, turning around. “And besides, I don’t think I’ll be pretty fun to be around right now.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because I want to hit both of you in the face with a brick.”</p><p>Amity choked at that and moved to let Lucelyn walk away, leaving behind a pair of stunned twins.</p><p>“Wow, didn’t see that coming,” Amity said, looking at her siblings.</p><p>“She is definitely too cool for Mittens.” Emira sighed and started to move. “Let’s go Edric.”</p><p>“Why would she want to hit us?” Edric asked while walking behind Emira.</p><p>Amity watched them walk away, and she then turned to where Lucelyn went. She went inside her hideout and after leaving her diary inside her desk, which she closed with a spell before also closing the door to her hideaway, she followed the other's girl path.</p><p>She moved to the damaged sections, finding some books still open and making its components come to life, breaking important parts of the place. She also found Lucelyn closing four history books with a kick, stopping the ancient monster from the past from annihilating her.</p><p>She smiled and walked closer to her.</p><p>“I won’t be able to give it back at this peace…”</p><p>Amity’s ears perked up at that. “Give what back?”</p><p>“Ah?!” Lucelyn jumped and tripped with a pile of books, falling back to the floor.</p><p>It was hard not to laugh.</p><p>“Amity?” she asked. “I thought you left.”</p><p>“I’m part of the staff here, I can’t leave without cleaning,” Amity replied while Lucelyn stood up. “What do you need to give back?”</p><p>She saw how the struggle came and left from the other girl’s face in a minute of silence between them. Then Lucelyn sighed and got her hand inside the messenger bag she had with her, passing Amity a folder.</p><p>“I took this today, and forgot to return it when the twins came by,” she said.</p><p>Amity opened the folder, finding a piece of good parchment, and thankfully, the magic of the star just worked on books, apparently. The parchment, anyway, was old, not ancient but… old.</p><p>It was a birth certificate.</p><p>“This is… yours?” Amity asked, reading it. “Why did you take it?”</p><p>“I was discussing it with Eda. She… She wouldn’t tell me if my other parent’s name was on the document, so I came to check.”</p><p>Amity stared and nodded slowly, within a deep—really deep, to be honest—part of herself, she could understand her motives.</p><p>Not that it excused her actions.</p><p>“Lucelyn…”</p><p>“Luz.”</p><p>Amity blinked a few times at that. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Call me Luz, please,” she said, “back where I was before coming here, nobody ever called me by my name… I was Luz, and, and I like it!”</p><p>“I-I see…” Amity replied, looking back down to the certificate. “Anyway, Luz. Here says that Eda is a single mother.”</p><p>“I know…” Luce-Luz sighed, looking away. “I noticed it after I was kicked out, I planned to look into the other person's name direction, but there wasn't another name, anyway, I was going to give the certificate back later on, but…”</p><p>“They are meant to be sent to the emperor’s coven at first hour in the morning,” Amity finished.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t want to think about what they could think when not finding <em> me </em> in there.”</p><p>It… made sense. Amity had to give her that.</p><p>“Then, let’s do this, I’ll help you clean up, including this little mess,” Amity said and returned the certificate. “And you pretend this night never happened, OK?”</p><p>“Hey, If I get out here with one crime out of my record, I’ll do anything, Ames.”</p><p>Did she…?</p><p>“Ames?” Amity asked, crossing her arms.</p><p>“Not fond of nicknames?”</p><p>“I like my name, thank you.”</p><p>Luz smiled and moved closer to her. “Yeah, I do too, <em> Amity </em>.”</p><p>Amity felt the heat getting to her cheeks, that witch had almost <em> purred </em>her name!</p><p>“Stop it.”</p><p>“Stop what, Amity?”</p><p>“That, in this instant!”</p><p>“But what are you talking about, Amity? This night never happened, right?”</p><p>She was about to scream at her, maybe hit her.</p><p>And a huge claw got around her middle.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>She saw a monster. She saw Odabin’s Book.</p><p>“Amity!”</p><p>She turned at Luz and reached out for her. “Luz!”</p><p>But the monster was faster, and Luz disappeared between bookshelves while she was carried away.</p><p>Titan… really?!</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Odabin had been a problem bigger than expected.</p><p>Amity had been caught after freeing Luz. Luz had tried to use her magic, and of course, things didn’t work out like some movie from the eighties; all because Luz had forgotten that being able to go smaller didn’t mean going small <em> enough. </em>Nope, so the library will have a new tree on the ‘Kid’s Corner’ to give mysticism to the environment.</p><p>Luz had been placing books back on their shelves for about an hour and the task was already leaving its mark on her, she stopped for a second to catch herself from falling and looked back at Amity; the girl seemed better off than her, <em> maybe </em> because her abomination was doing the hard lifting while Amity just concentrated on placing the books on their place.</p><p>With four hands and a helper who wouldn’t get tired? Luz wouldn’t be tired at all.</p><p>“You’re slacking,” Amity commented.</p><p>“Sorry, it's been a crazy night,” she replied, leaving an insanely big encyclopedia. “And not all of us have abominations to help out with the chores.”</p><p>“Maintaining it working also tires me out. Don’t try to push this as I’m not working as hard as you.”</p><p>“Never crossed my mind to do that.”</p><p>“That’s a lie.”</p><p>“Damn, you caught me!” Luz then made an overdramatic bow. “Now my plan to mess with you is ruined, curse you, curse your good thinking!”</p><p>Luz would have it pretty hard to forget Amity’s laugh after that.</p><p>Amity laughed with all her face, and while it might sound strange, it wasn’t. The mask of ‘perfection’ was gone, the mean air too, not even the nice lady that read to kids was there. Just like when they were almost sewed together to that giant book. Luz saw Amity laughing and she saw just a girl, a teen like her, completely free from prying eyes and laughing at nonsense as any other teen should.</p><p>…OK, she might sound like an old woman, but that wasn’t the point!</p><p>“You are incredible!” Amity said, fixing herself. “I can’t believe you said something that awful.”</p><p>Luz smirked and walked up to her. “Oh, is that a challenge?”</p><p>“No, I don’t want to see if you can get worse than that.”</p><p>“Oh, come on! It wasn’t that bad!”</p><p>“It was terrible.”</p><p>“Could be worse.”</p><p>“You’re kidding!”</p><p>“Want me to go full force in an extremely ‘drama’ way? ‘Cause I will!”</p><p>“Don’t!”</p><p>Luz laughed and Amity broke into a fit of laughs herself; both of them made the mistake of letting a book fall. The dust floated and just like when Edric blew it on the demon decimal system, it caused a blast of cards in their direction, making both witches fall to the ground.</p><p>And yet, the laughs didn’t stop with that.</p><p>Between all the papers, notes, laughter and really bothering dust, Luz sat and looked at Amity. The witch didn’t seem to notice and Luz was grateful for that, her eyes caught sight of a piece of paper sticking out the other’s hair, her hand moving instinctively towards it. Amity stopped her laughs, looking at her.</p><p>“You… em, y-you have something… in, in your… hair,” she managed to let out, “do you… want me to take it out?”</p><p>Instead of voicing a response, Amity nodded, never moving her gaze from her.</p><p>Luz got her hand in the slick hair and took just a second more than necessary in taking the paper out of it. She looked at the card once it was free.</p><p>It was a reference for a book, a parenthood book.</p><p>“How to cope with an empty nest’? Maybe I should get Eda this book,” Luz said while smiling.</p><p>And her mind went back to Camila, making her cringe.</p><p>“Why would you? I don’t think you are in age to live your mom behind,” Amity commented, and Luz flinched. “Lucelyn?”</p><p>“I did leave her behind. Age doesn’t matter on that.”</p><p>“Huh? I know that the week you spent with Willow could look like you left her, but I’m sure Eda doesn’t mind! If she does, she will either forgive you or forget ‘bout it.”</p><p>“I’m not talking about Eda.”</p><p>Luz realized too late—it was kinda her thing around Amity, wasn’t it?—what she had said. The silence was suddenly too heavy for her, Luz wanted to say something, anything to get over that awful comment she just dropped, but she couldn’t find the words; and instead, she fixated her eyes on the floor.</p><p>“Then… about whom?” Amity finally asked.</p><p>Luz didn’t look at her. Her mind considering all possible responses, she could lie, she <em> had </em>to lie!</p><p>But she felt the knot in her throat, the truth, and just… blurted it out.</p><p>“Eda is not my mom,” Luz said, “not the only one, at least.”</p><p>“What…What do you mean by that?”</p><p>Luz bit her lip, looking at Amity through her bangs. She could brush it off. She could lie as she had been doing, as easy as agreeing with her and act dumb.</p><p>But she didn’t want to, not there, not then.</p><p>“Eda is family, and I like her a lot… but I have two moms, the whole deal with the certificated was just... I wanted a little reassurance, I guess... Eda doesn't talk about her, I don't talk about her... but somewhat... it still hurts, I wanted something to link us, since we never saw eye to eye when it mattered,” Luz said. “They, Eda and her, didn’t seem to look eye to eye either… I can’t be with both and while I love being here, while I love the ‘Boiling Isles’ and I love the people I met here… I can’t stop missing her.”</p><p>“Luz…”</p><p>“And it’s all so messed up! I mean, my mom tried to change me, to make me something I was not, the whole reason I came with Eda was because I didn’t want that, I couldn’t stand that! She was trying to turn me into something I didn’t want, I didn’t look like she wanted, and she always acted like it was <em> my </em>fault to be different…! And yet… and yet…”</p><p>Luz lowered her head, the wet sensation in her face made pretty obvious the tears rolled down her cheeks. She shivered, hugging herself and looking for something that could ground her, that would keep the memories at bay… but she couldn’t.</p><p>“I keep remembering her… remembering those times she would cook with me, or those when she would sing to me when I was scared, how she played stupid games with me or just read to me on nights when I couldn’t sleep.” Luz held back a sob. “I keep this many memories and I... I-I can’t stop… I can’t stop thinking of her laughter, of her frown, or her voice, or how her hand held mine when I was hurt… the kindness in her touch, the love she showed me… and… and… it hurts…”</p><p>Luz raised her head and looked into Amity’s eyes.</p><p>“I don’t want to feel like this, Amity. I want to hate her, but I can’t.”</p><p>Amity’s arms were around her in a second; and Luz melted into the hug right away, clinging to the witch like she was the only thing keeping her whole.</p><p>Maybe she was.</p><p>Luz cried for hours—or that was how it felt—in Amity’s arms. The teal-hair witch stayed still, silent, too awkward apparently to do more than just surround her with her arms and wait.</p><p>But it was enough for Luz.</p><p>“You know? I do hate my mother,” Amity said when Luz had calmed down. “She had done so many horrible things to me… so many, I can’t even begin to think about them, but I don’t like hating her. Because… Because I know that in some weird part of her head, she is doing it to help me… because in her twisted way… she loves me.”</p><p>Amity pulled away, looking at Luz in the eyes, her hand going to her cheek, brushing away a tear.</p><p>“That’s why… I don’t think you should stop, feeling like that, or remembering those things.” Amity smiled at her. “It just means that you love her, and even if you haven’t forgiven her, she is still your mom… and you know she loves you, deeply.”</p><p>Luz stared at her and giggled after a few seconds. “Sorry, for… eh, dumping this on you, even though you don’t like me.”</p><p>“Is not that I don’t like you, but you do get in a mess wherever you go.”</p><p>“So... you like me? Wow, could I ask for a date?”</p><p>“Don’t push your luck.”</p><p>They both laughed at that, and Luz leaned in, her forehead resting on Amity’s shoulder.</p><p>“Can we stay like this a few more minutes then?” She whispered.</p><p>Amity’s hand got to her hair and Luz sighed in relaxation. “You are unbelievable.”</p><p>They finished their work after that. Amity got the forged certificate in the register herself and Luz almost felt bad about it; she had done it because she thought Luz had taken it <em> out </em> , not <em> in </em>.</p><p>But it was too late for that.</p><p>She didn’t have a look at the disappearance reports that night either. But her mind was at ease, the Emperor’s coven had asked for birth certifications, not reports, she could go back another time for those.</p><p>Besides…</p><p>Looking at Amity moving around, this time with a little smile on her face, made Luz think that maybe… just maybe there wouldn’t be a problem with staying as she was a little bit longer.</p><p>Just a little more.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>She had parted ways with Amity before the sun rose at dawn, and she had also given her the book five of the ‘Good Witch Azura’ as an act of goodwill.</p><p>“I hope she likes it…” Luz sighed, looking at her scroll, Amity’s number already registered and a photo of the girl in the middle of placing a book on its shelf took the place of the contact information.</p><p>Amity didn’t need to know about that photo.</p><p>Luz put the scroll back in her bag and walked through the main street. Bonesborough was really quiet when people were sleeping, almost creepy quiet.</p><p><em> “Relax Luz, is not like some old monster or psychopath will attack you.” </em>She thought, shaking her head. “A monster or a dude might appear, but I’m sure they’ll be nice. And they are not coming out an alley when I’m passing by, that would be-”</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Lucelyn.”</p><p>What would she know? Really?</p><p>Luz tensed immediately and jumped away from the alley; a figure came out the shadows, it seemed like an adult, its mask perfectly even, and a pair of blue eyes shined through the darkness of the night.</p><p>“Who are you?” Luz asked while raising her right hand, her bracelet lit up the second later.</p><p>“I’m the one who knows all around this Island,” he responded, advancing in her direction. “I’m also the one who is more interested in you, little girl.”</p><p>OK, alarms up.</p><p>“Why would you be interested in me?”</p><p>“Oh, you are fascinating, I thought you knew it.” He banished and Luz spun around, pointing a fireball, the man appeared in front of her. “See? Good intuition, and a quick spell creation.”</p><p>“I have a good teacher.”</p><p>“Yes, the ‘Owl Lady’, right? She is indeed powerful… for a wild witch, of course.”</p><p>“What would you know about her, or wild magic?”</p><p>She realized too late that she made a mistake.</p><p>The man had gone from far away to awfully close in less than two seconds. His hand had closed over her arm and it seemed he was attempting to crush it! Luz fought against his grip, but every movement made it hurt more!</p><p>“You shall know, little child.” He said, and his voice was even creepier than before. “I know <em> all </em> of wild magic and its repercussions. I’ve saved the isles from it, and all I ask in retribution is a little-“</p><p>“Total and complete control over the people?” Luz cut in.</p><p>Bad choice, her arm <em> burned </em>. Blood splattered on the ground.</p><p>She tried to scream, but her voice was gone. She looked at the man, tears getting in her vision; she saw a red light coming out of the eyes of his mask.</p><p>“Silence,” he ordered. “I shall not take this kind of insult. Yes, I control the isles, but it’s not my pleasure. Is a duty I was given by the Titan! You better remember it.”</p><p>He let go of her arm and his eyes changed. The red light became blue and Luz felt her arm moving, the pain got worse… and then it was gone. Her hand worked normally and her flesh and skin, muscles… all of it. Like...Like nothing ever happened.</p><p>“It’ll go for tonight, but be aware, little witchling,” he said, getting closer again. “The Emperor Belos does not accept bad responses, and your question is coming soon… and it would be a shame to take away those nostalgic colors you have on you…”</p><p>Luz stayed there, sitting on the ground with all body shaking for minutes, maybe even an hour before her limbs obeyed her again. Once she could stand, she did the only thing she could think of.</p><p>She ran, faster than ever, letting the tears roll down her cheeks and disappear in the shadows of the allies.</p><p>She needed to go back to the ‘Owl House’. She needed to get back to Eda.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>....<br/>......<br/>..........<br/>Who saw that coming? Really, who did? II was aiming for the surprise! Did I manage it? Did I not? Let me know please!<br/>Anyway, that would be all for now, our little cliffhanger~ the second one I think. Now we have stakes going higher up and Luz and Amity flirting! Yeah, I love these two little messes, and I'm not a huge fan of unilateral attraction if I can help it, so.... yep.<br/>Some notes!<br/>For the readers of the Avatar AU. Do not worry my friends, the chapter will come out soon enough, it was a blackout that ereased all my correction and edition and the chapter ended up in draft version and... yeah, no posting that, but the chapter and the story are still coming out, I promise!<br/>On this story regards. Thank you all for commenting, next chapter will have a lot of new stuff so be ready for it, too!<br/>On one shot regards, the second part of "Doctor Said it's just a crush" is on it's way! Yeah, a friend told me to write and... yeah, I have the time, so it'll be done... probably next week.<br/>Without nothing else to say, thank you SO MUCH for reading and please, leave your comments, I'll be answering the questions I can without spoiling this story, and if you happen to find any mistake on my English or writing, let me know so the story can keep improving chapter by chapter!<br/>Thanks again (I thank you a lot, don't I?) and read ya some other time!<br/>G_U Out, peace~~~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Just What's Worth The Most To You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Story A: Encountering Belos had left a toll on Luz's spirit. Now, desperate to grow stronger and with still recurrent nightmares, she has to deal with another weight on her shoulders... teenage Bullies.<br/>Story B: Eda is a wanted criminal searched by many, but Lady Luck decided to abandon her when she gets captured by the Emperor's Coven...! For throwing trash.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New chapter, maybe a bit messy since the Beta reader didn't have time before posting it, but I don't want to get behind the release date with this fic too so... here we are!<br/>Now, last week we had some Lumity, pe you liked it! Sadly enough, there's no Amity on this chapter, yeah, I know, I know, sorry 'bout that, but I promise is for a good reason!<br/>Don't have much else to say except thanks to all the people who commented, and I hope you had a good week!<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House does not belong to me and this work is only with entertainment as propose.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“In practice, imagination tends to be more important than knowledge.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>And company tends to be more important than success.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>The day was perfect, the sun shining, not deadly plagues coming in their direction and the little clear serene and peaceful…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And next to all that beauty… there were them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, you sure you want to do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and raised her staff, spinning it and making the spell circle grow. She looked at Luz, the teen just nodded at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t blame me later!” She shouted, and the magic blast was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at the attack and raised her hand while her bracelet started to glow. An ice wall rose in front of her, blocking the blast. It didn’t stop it, though. The power went through and the energy of Eda’s magic hit the ocean, and there wasn’t any sign of Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked. “Where did that-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little grumble from the ground made her jump back, using Owlbert to gain altitude and barely avoid the growing vines that tried to catch her. She gaped a little before making a new spell, multiple heads of earth and stone with Hooty’s shape started to cut down the vines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, she had to avoid the giant flaming owl figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda dived, barely avoiding the thing and smiling at it when it turned back. She jumped down to the ground and spun her staff, making her own owl of fire magic and letting it crush against the first one. She made a protection spell and watched the explosion from the clash of magic, spinning over herself to raise her staff in the direction of the woods, she pushed magic through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the scream and just laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was amazing, Kiddo!” Eda shouted, turning to the tree line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz floated towards her surrounded by Eda’s magic. The girl was sulking and muttering things to herself, not caring to look up to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not enough. I need to improve more…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More? Kiddo, you already mastered four spells, and got the hang of giving a new form to two of ‘hem!” Eda told her, letting her on the ground. “I’m surprised ‘bout the owl, it looks fierce.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s not enough to deal with Belos, is it?” Luz replied, glaring at the ground. “And I can’t go smaller yet, I could hurt someone I don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed while combing a hand through her hair. Luz came back that night three days ago covered in sweat and with such a terror plastered on her face, worse than anything Eda had never seen before, she had then blurted something about the emperor just to faint the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The morning after it, Luz had woken up screaming and shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you need to relax a little.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bad choice of words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could I?! The most powerful witch in the isles wants me! And I don’t even know if it’s imprisoned, banished, or death!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could be all,” King commented from his little place next to the clearing they were training in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not helping!” Eda shouted back at the little demon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t… I don’t know what else to do, Eda!” Luz groaned. “I can’t learn new spells at this point, and I don’t know why! It seems like I just got blocked after I managed to get the scroll one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes went to the bracelet, the scroll glyph also shining on the metal, the color was a faint orange, similar to the light glyph and the form were two parallel sets of parallel lines connected by an ‘X’ in the middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you get it again?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her bracelet. “I was using my scroll and Hooty came in by the window, I threw it outside and the sunlight passed through it while it was falling… I just saw the design in the shadow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… just as random as the others?” Eda crossed her arms. “You could’ve got one while we did the laundry two days ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz cringed at that. “Why did you have three wedding dresses and four funeral ones in my size again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never sold ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But still-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The point here is!” Eda cut her off. “You just get them at random, Marcus was a huge nerd for old things, and he didn’t have anything either, did he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda still remembered the incredulously long chat the man gave them when they went for dinner the night before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and dipped her head. “I wish I had a guide for this or something…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, quit whining you,” Eda said, patting Luz on the back. “You are getting the hang of those four spells better every day, that owl thing is proof enough, also the fact that you can grow vines and trees is good. I promise that in no time you’ll also have the ice glyph doing what you want. Remember kiddo, is not about how many spells you learn, but how you use them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You think so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know so! Who do you think ya’re talking to?” Eda beamed at her. “Now let’s go to the stand, we need to work if we want to eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought the money you got from the ‘Bat Queen’ would get you set for life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also thought about it, but what fun is a life without a bit of work in it? ‘Sides, I rather save those snails for a rainy day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To buy supplies if you can’t keep selling on the market?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! For the time I can’t put a force field on Hooty and have to buy things to fix him, that house sure is picky with the wood you use on him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed at that, and Eda smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid had so much pressure on her shoulders. Eda couldn’t imagine… well, she could, but she was a somewhat adult when her status as a rough witch started, and she was never visited by the emperor himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That gave her a bad feeling. What could </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>want with Luz?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda got the staff on the sky and Luz used her plant glyph to impulse herself and King in her arms to jump and land behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I need to look into this…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, looking ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That faceless bastard wasn’t getting anything from Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Selling trash was never something Luz would’ve thought of as ‘honest work’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious enough, it was the most legal of all Eda’s activities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched all the people passing by with wonder, imagining how such diversity had never led to anything bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about now?” King asked while he got on top of the table. “You are all gloomy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just that humankind made a big deal of the smallest things.” Luz shrugged, turning to look at their ‘merchandise’. “Can’t believe we haven’t sold anything yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, human trash sold better with you being the one handling it.” King jumped down the table. “Maybe because you know what it actually does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and leaned on the table. “Are we too subtle in our business ways?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does subtle mean ugly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned and all her good mood—which wasn’t much after that morning—received a hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want to deal with that girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled as cheerfully as she could anyway. “Hey, Boscha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know her?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz did know her, at least from looks and rumors. After their little encounter on the way to Amity’s conjuring and the stories Willow had told her, Boscha was not the kind of girl you should be messing with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Hexsians!” Luz continued, ignoring King’s question. “See anything you like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha, as one would’ve expected, answered. “Ew, no. I just came to take an ironic Penstagram next to the loser daughter of a criminal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not funny Boscha.” Luz shook her head once the picture was taken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what are you gonna do? Force me to buy something from your little place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could charge you the photo,” Luz said, leaning over the table and shooting her a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got her off balance. Luz considered it a win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” King asked, jabbing her leg with his paws. “You should blast them with magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King, is not worth it,” Luz sighed, looking Boscha walk away. “You don’t understand how to deal with teens like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t expect him to pull her down and glare at her. “No! I’ll show you what to do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz then had to watch King scream, get picked up as a stuffed animal, and pulled away from their little stall further into the market with Boscha’s gang stopping at the end of the street to dress him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…And that just happened.” Luz sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a crash and Luz turned to see Eda walking up to her, a new load of trash on her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did just happen?” Eda asked, leaving the load on the table. “Where is King?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kidnapped over there,” Luz pointed to the gang of teens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked and broke into laughs. “They put a dress on him?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He still looks adorable,” Luz said, leaning on the table. “Even if he wanted me to blast them to bits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you blast the guards every time they come here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda got the message with only that, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, it’s not worth it anyway, wasting magic on her will only get me problems… not like I could control it anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you haven’t stopped thinking about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, I have only four spells and I can’t even control their output!” Luz whined. “How should I deal with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relaxing, Kiddo. With this desperation, the only thing you’re gonna get is more and more stress.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you suggest I should think about then?” Luz groaned, looking at Eda. “Maybe about the fact I don’t know who my blood family is yet? Or maybe, all my problems with my mom? Or, hey! What about the deal with the emperor? That would be distracting!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at her and Luz felt a sudden rush of shame creep its way through her and the anger and shame were just... clogging her throat. She didn’t have to take that on Eda, she shouldn’t be taking it with anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But things built up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry… I shouldn’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, it’s OK,” Eda said, patting her back. “I almost forget you have all that on you, Kiddo. Don’t apologize. I do wish you could chill with something-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda! Blast those teens into ashes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned and almost cracked at the sight. King was wearing a yellow dress with a sunhat that was far too big for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did they do to you?” Eda asked between laughs, unable to hold anything back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz could swear she saw a tear rolling down her cheek!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They ruined my style, and my honor, that’s what they did!” King shouted, ripping the dress apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like how ‘style’ comes first,” Luz said, smirking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could’ve blasted them to nothingness if you wanted,” King replied, “just like you almost did to that kid in Covention!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and looked down. The flashes of what she had almost done to Amity came back to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So long, nightmares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had managed to get a few nights of sleep thanks to Eda’s potions, but she couldn’t depend on those. The images always came back, and she had been able to hold herself… as long nobody talked about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for reminding me ‘bout that.” Luz groaned, hitting the table with her forehead. “Just…Just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Solo eso necesitaba…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She muttered against the wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well done, dingus!” Eda said, and Luz heard a ‘snap’ sound. Probably she hit King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not everybody thinks back to those events as happy as ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh,” King said, looking down awkwardly. “Sorry, Luz. I didn’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No matter,” Luz mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, you can’t let this bother you forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not like I want it to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are doing it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, this is about the fact my powers would go crazy the moment I use them. I could hurt someone or-”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kill them…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She let the words unspoken, but the pressure was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even know why this happened in the first place,” she continued, “I mean, even when I came here, my spells, while powerful, never made all this… mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda made a sound and sighed. “I think it’s because of your bracelet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would it be my bracelet?” Luz asked, covering her head with her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because.” Eda ran a hand through the small exposed part of Luz’s hair. “The bracelet is on your arm, so to say, is in constant connection with your heart, which gives it and the spell you cast with it, a direct line to the power source.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means that Luz’s spells could get hijacked because she doesn’t control when the magic stops going to bracelet unless she orders all her magic power to cease at once. Witches are always running magic through their bodies, it’s in our blood! Luz has to stop that natural process every time she cuts a spell so it won’t go berserk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That makes sense,” King conceded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What am I supposed to do then?” Luz groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Generally, witches learn with the spell circle because the bigger you do it, the more power you drain,” Eda explained, stopping her hand and taking it away from Luz’s hair. “But since you don’t use circles, that method won’t do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what? I just learn how to block all my magic in a second?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too risky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then?!” Luz screamed without raising her forehead still against the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Eda a few minutes to think of a proper response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if you try concentrating your magic somewhere else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz finally looked up. “I can do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! How did you think the magic staffs worked?” Eda replied, smirking. “You make your Pawlisman by leaving a piece of yourself and mixing it with the right materials, that way, your staff can do magic without you actually doing it, it’s also why having one makes you more powerful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz practically jumped. “I see!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is she supposed to do that? It’s not like you are going to give her her own staff right now.” King commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t say you had another way of making spells before your bracelet?” Eda asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded, getting her hand in her side bag, taking out of it a deck of cards. They were actually just post-it notes, but each one of them had a glyph on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used to use these,” Luz showed them to Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda took one and studied it. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just tapped it and the magic would be sucked out of me,” Luz said, looking at the rest in her hands. “I haven’t used them in years… I might be out of practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you haven’t used them, why do you still have ‘em?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged. “Nostalgia, I guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You get sentimental over the weirdest things.” Eda shook her head and called Owlbert. “Whatever you do, try not to destroy the stand, I need to run an errand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More elixir?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, my supply is pretty much full. But better have some reserves.” Eda responded with a shrug. “Hold the fort, kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, mom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda snorted and the next second she was off. Luz smiled after the woman and put her ‘cards’ away. She needed to test them </span>
  <em>
    <span>away </span>
  </em>
  <span>from the city if her newly found lack of self-control also applied to that kind of casting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Luz,” King talked after some minutes, “I’m sorry for, well, saying that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry much about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I mean it, I know you haven’t… you haven’t really got over it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down and sighed. King would know about her nightmares, he slept in her room most of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Is OK, I’m fine,” she lied, as many other times. “Now just concentrate on selling something, we don’t want Eda to whine about not making a single snail today, even when we have a fortune back at home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you, go Eda, hope is enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll have to be Morton,” Eda replied, handing him a little bag. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are my best client, I’ll make sure to keep you alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that exactly what I’m counting on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed along with the small alchemist. Morton was by far one of the best, but his appearance and the existence of the healer’s coven, kept his business small and slow, more than anything because he worked with poisons and antidotes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody would care for one if with one spell you could be done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have more in four days, though, with a box of two dozens, I doubt you’ll need it,” he said, passing her the last bottles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My house now has a kid in it, a teen, so I better stay prepared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah! I heard!” Morton cheered and laughed a little. “Congrats, Eda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you usually say it when someone has a baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My kid is fourteen, Morton.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but you got her back after all this time,” he pointed out, “so congratulations for reuniting with your family. Tell me if you need anything, any time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at him before the laugh won over her. She couldn’t believe herself. She? Talking about kids with the alchemist? And more unbelievable was that she was talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>—pretended—kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Life does change a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have it in mind,” Eda said and stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz midnight wakes and long days with bags under her eyes came to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, do you have anything that helps sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the kid is having a rough time. I’ve tried giving her lavender and other relaxing herbs, and she fell, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea using much of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It could create a dependency, true.” Morton nodded. “How strong do you need it to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just enough for her to not have nightmares.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morton gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded again. “I think I have something, wait here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t take too long!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda waited for ten minutes and sent her Elixir inside the portal door when no one was looking; it was a lot easier to take it out from the human realm in another place than charge with the stupid thing for all her way back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got it,” Morton said, handing her a long bottle with slight orange liquid inside. “Is something similar to your elixir, but instead of keeping curses away, this will keep her dreams apart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her dreams?” Eda repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, is not popular since it works on both, good and bad dreams. But if your kid really needs sleep, tell her to have one sip before going to bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this won’t generate dependency as Lavender does?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, since it doesn’t do much until you are already asleep, the potion keeps dreams away for the night, but more than that? It’s just painted water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not the words I expected from an alchemist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could never fool you, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed hard and hit, without any real strength, his shoulder. “Sure you wouldn’t! How much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This time is on the house,” Morton said, rubbing his shoulder. “Take it as a welcome gift for your kid, I wish I’ll see her sometime around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you will,” Eda replied, “thanks again, Morton. See ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye, Eda.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda walked away slowly, looking at the potion. Her mind went back to Luz, and she cringed. When was the last time she actively cared that much about a person? She couldn’t remember!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was starting to feel more and more like family, in more than one way if Eda was honest with herself. The little game of calling her ‘mom’ every now and then was… different somehow, those days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was stopping to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretending </span>
  </em>
  <span>daughter to a… </span>
  <em>
    <span>surrogate </span>
  </em>
  <span>one, more or less.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t believe I’m thinking about this stuff.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, closing her eyes and shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out, hag!” Eda heard and turned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A teen slammed himself against her and Eda spun around. She looked down, finding the damn brat and she raised a hand prepared to blast him a good one…! Until she noticed three things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The potion for Luz had fallen, now the dial was shattered on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stupid teen had a demon that looked suspiciously like King on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And a pair of hands held her from behind, pinning her against the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! Hey, who do you think you are?!” Eda shouted and tried to move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The person over her placed their knee—or that’s Eda felt—in the middle of her back, taking the air out of her lungs with that single movement, at the same time it provoked her a cough attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got her!” She heard someone scream, all making sense immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emperor guards...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda then felt something metallic closing over her wrists. “What is your deal dude?” She shouted when the cough had stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn Clawthorne,” said a voice that didn’t belong to any of the guards. “You are hereby under arrest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Under what charges? I haven’t done anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a pretty extensive list of charges, alright. But right now, you are under arrest for a simple thing.” A thin hand showed her one piece of broken glass. “Throwing trash.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda gaped and tried to fight them, but it was useless, her hands were also held in a way that stopped her from casting spells. The guards pulled her head upwards and Eda saw a pair of blue eyes she recognized just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Edalyn,” Lilith said, “we need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe he did this…” Luz groaned, turning a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to leave the stand closed and secured with the little protection she could muster—a pretty thick wall of ice—to look out for King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did he have to push the teens’ bottoms?!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I swear, I’m teaching King teen dramas tonight!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, rushing past a street, stopping and going back her tracks. “What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The street was utter chaos, well, more than usual, since that was the ‘Boiling Isles’. Luz saw multiple things at once, from a bunch of tentacles breaking stuff around stands to an angry elf punching people, and even other demons that had their faces twisted in horrible ways!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, that good-looking guy crying in front of a mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I have a bad feeling ‘bout this?” Luz muttered, walking through the madness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran into a few people who wanted to pretty much stab her before she caught sight of the source of all that chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t be serious…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw how the group of teenagers—all the boys Boscha hanged out regularly—were moving behind King, who just kept blasting orders of how and when to make someone’s life miserable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz massaged her eyes before taking action. She had to get King back and after that? Eda could help her think of something to deal with him… Of course, that would’ve been if someone hasn’t thrown her to the ground with a push.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is all, your, fault!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up, finding three blue eyes glaring at her. “Boscha, what is your problem?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your stupid pet!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?! You kidnapped him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think his stupidity would be in the same frequency as my stupid followers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not even friends? Wow, this girl is cold.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, standing up. “You think that justifies something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just take him back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared, her mind running all over the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was it wrong to find it funny?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had also told her to find another distraction. She looked around, finding a small stand that hadn't been touched; it was a simple game, like the carnival ones. Throwing balls through rings seemed like a childish, harmless, and fun distraction… also a good competition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell you what, Boscha,” Luz said, making the last letter last longer. “I’ll take King back… if you can beat me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah? You want another ‘witches duel’ that fast?” Boscha said back. “I’m not like Amity, I’ll crush you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to fight you, don’t have the energy or the interest.” Luz walked to the stand and turned to see Boscha. “Beat me on this, if you think you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The triclop girl blinked several times before laughing in a way that Luz just could describe as </span>
  <em>
    <span>annoying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to lose like a child? Pretty well.” Boscha walked and took a ball from the demon in charge of the stand. “How do you want to lose?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the game, there were rings, balls, and stuffed animals. She was never good at sports back home because of her mind being more about hiding her magic… also, she never did any exercise that much. But in the isles, with all she had been doing so far?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could take her chances.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First to fail three times,” Luz said, smiling. “Deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are about to go down,” Boscha said, making her first shoot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it passed right through the middle of the ring. Luz smirked and shot too, the ball bounced three times in the ring before it went in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Game on, Boscha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It turned out; Luz had a pretty good chance against Boscha.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were even to the last shot and two down on each one. While Boscha had been smooth pretty much all of their little match, her failures were both due to her overconfidence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owner didn’t like that they were making his game look easy, so he picked it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rings started to move with one spell and Luz found herself forgetting for a second the fact that she was betting her friend over a silly game with one of the meanest persons alive so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Luz said, “this could be our thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about now?” Boscha groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another point for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shot, another point for herself, too. “We are pretty competitive in this, it could be a weekly thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need to be friends with a loser like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you need to? Friends are something you want, must of the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I don’t want to be friends with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha failed, and Luz scored, it was Luz’s win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to find Boscha glaring flaming daggers at her—even if that was not an expression—and breathing really hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think you can just come in here and start messing with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think you can take what’s mine?” Boscha continued. “That you can just…just come here, and win over me? Like I’m some normal loser?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha’sped and it turned into a glare instantly, all her good mood gone as far as it came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never even cared about you!” She shouted, moving closer to Boscha. “The one who has been looking out for a fight me is </span>
  <em>
    <span>you! </span>
  </em>
  <span>And I don’t know why!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha’s glare intensified and she pushed her. “It’s because you ruined everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> even supposed to mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s your fault that Amity has been changing lately, she doesn’t seem to notice, but she is going soft, and you also pushed that ‘half-a-witch’ out of her place! Now Skara is always looking at her, Cat thinks she is cool and Amelia is not backing me up when I try to remind the stupid Willow where she </span>
  <em>
    <span>belongs!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped at the girl, her rage had ignited like a small flame, but Boscha had just managed to turn it into a forest fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are mad because I helped Willow?! Just how selfish can you be?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was right where she was supposed to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, she wasn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then ice came out of the ground as spears and Boscha stepped back, her eyes wide. Luz looked down to her bracelet; controlling the magic already on it she made fireball, melting the ice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow is one of the kindest, sweetest, and most powerful witches out there! I bet she is even stronger than-!” Luz stopped, blasting the flame to the air, the great mass of fire dispersed as her grin grew. “… I bet she is even stronger than you, Boscha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smile only got bigger at the surprised face of the triclop-girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha glared at her. “Ja! The ‘half-a-witch’?! Spending so much time with the trash trashed your brain or what?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no, no, no Boscha. My brain is perfectly fine.” Luz walked closer. “I think, actually, that I understand you now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are scared of Willow, aren’t ya?” Luz asked. “I mean, the girl you kept bullying, the ‘half-a-witch’ suddenly gets a boost in her rep, she gets sorted in a track where she is turned into a best student and she is friends with someone far more interesting than you, who wouldn’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>threatened</span>
  </em>
  <span> by something like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned her back on Boscha, and her face got red, her smirk moved to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> awkward smile. Did she really say all of that?! Hanging too much around Eda was dangerous, the woman’s ways were rubbing off on her!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is so embarrassing! I acted like one of those jocks in old movies!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, biting her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now listen you-!” Boscha started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned—same as Boscha, apparently—to look at the girl who was with her before. She was looking… tired, exhausted even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it now, Skara?” Boscha growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl stopped and bent over herself, holding her knees. “The…The boys…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did those idiots do now? Irritate an old lady?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They got arrested!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz and Boscha said together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara backed off a few steps. “They were doing what this super cute baby demon was saying and they messed up with a ‘Conformatorium’ guard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King!” Luz shouted, getting closer to the girl. “Where are they now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T…T-They w-were taken into a carriage to ‘Conformatorium’…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t even think about what to do before she was running towards the main street. She might not know where ‘Conformatorium’ actually is, but she does know they’ll have to leave Bonesborough by the north end to get there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> letting them take King away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, the guards were really dumb, or Luz just so happened to had seen too many prison break movies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz caught up with the carriage in no time, sorting alleys with the minimum knowledge had been hard and messy and she was sure that more than one of those people would be pretty happy to give an earful for her rudeness by crossing their yards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was there. And the carriage had gone under a full procession of their captured ‘criminals’ before even moving an inch out of town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised her hand, ready to blast the stupid thing’s door away with a controlled—not so controlled—ice age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until she felt a hit on her back. “You are not getting away with that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned, a growl stuck in her throat at the sight of Boscha glaring at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want now?!” Luz shouted at her. “I’m in the middle of something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not beating me!” Boscha said and made a spell circle. “I’m going to beat the sense of the trash you are into your skull!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw the fireball take form, and cursed a little when she was forced to dive, she looked back, the carriage was getting away!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t look away, you peasant!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and rolled, her magic going to the ice glyph and she raised a wave of spikes towards Boscha the witch let out a yelp and jumped to the side, the ice broke a window on an abandoned-looking building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to fight you!” Luz screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You picked this fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz made a wall of ice, stopping Boscha multiple blasts of fireballs. She looked back at the street, the carriage was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough of this!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The plant glyph in her bracelet shined and she hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think you can beat me with that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up, Boscha had jumped her wall and was now falling over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was late for Boscha to react to her spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the ground a branch came, then another, and then the body of the tree came up. Green leafs filled Luz’s vision and she heard Boscha scream at the same time she felt the air hitting her from above, the pressure finally stopping after five seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around. Luz was over the tops of all the buildings in Bonesborough except the clock tower, her eyes looking for that little spot in the main street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found it, the carriage almost getting out of town, a straight line to the forest line that led to ‘Conformatorium’ entrance!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going. King…” Luz said, preparing herself to jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think you are going?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You gotta be kidding me!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, turning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha glared at her from her position between five branches, her eyes shining with rage, her expression distorted by it, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just… What is your problem?!” Luz screamed while glaring at her. “Your friends are about to get into ‘Conformatorium’ and all you care is about beating me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never lose!” Boscha said, “I’m the best, I’m the top of all competitions, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>lose!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes and jaw opened to the extremes at that. Not because of the rage, or the words Boscha just said, not even from the utter awesomeness from the scene. Because who wouldn’t be shocked about receiving such a fanfiction-like line in the top of a tree grown with magic with the sunlight hitting all the right places?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that wasn’t what made Luz gape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the desperation in Boscha’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell is this so important to you?” Luz asked, that time more softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m supposed to be the best!” Boscha said, “I’m friends with the best people, I’m on one of the best tracks, I’m the best on Penstagram, I’m top society on the school, I’m the best sportswoman Hexside has seen in decades! I’m the best! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be the best! And nobody is taking that away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her mouth, and her eyes went back to their normal size. Boscha was still glaring, but for a strange reason, Luz didn’t feel as threatened as before. Boscha looked… smaller, weaker… lonelier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she doing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m done,” Luz said, shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I’m done, you win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha gaped at her. “No, no, that’s not how this works!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it is now. I’m done Boscha!” Luz shouted and raised both hands. “It’s your win! I’m no match for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you even saying? I’m gonna crush you fair and square!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Boscha. Because all of… this.” Luz made a gesture between the two of them. “Is not worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?! My reputation-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean my friend is more valuable to me than winning over you, or taking your  ‘reputation’ away from you,” Luz said, “and I’m not leaving him for anything, so, I call uncle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha stared at her. “You what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I give up! You win! Do you get that?! It’s done…! I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>done</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Luz moved away from her. “Congrats! Now, I have a friend to save.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned and dropped from the branches, her landing wasn’t the best, she had to use the ice glyph and made a ramp that ended too abruptly and almost made her hit her face against the ground. It wasn’t pretty, nor nice, and it wasn’t on the right spot either, but she didn’t break anything, and she could still see where the guards were going.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really hope all that anime was right…” Luz whispered, powering her ice glyph.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Is not about how many spells you learn, but how you use them.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I hope you are right, Eda!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, and then the road in front of her froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She then changed of glyphs, the fire one shining; she looked ahead and moved both hands, twin fireballs appeared on her palms. Luz prayed to whatever god or goddess that was around that her plan would end in disaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pointed her palms behind her and realized her spell, the smallest she could at the moment was still pretty big. The flames almost roared behind her and she was off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All that time watching characters doing it didn’t make it easier for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her balance was off. Any small change in her hand’s position would send her in a—basically but not really—spiral and almost crashing into people’s or houses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she closed the distance with the carriage in no time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the little head showing from between the bars. “Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming, buddy!” She shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pushed barely any more magic through the glyph, but the little explosion was enough to send her almost crashing against the back door of the carriage. She groaned while holding from the bars, looking inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the teens were either crying or unconscious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These guys…” Luz sighed, looking at King. “You learned your lesson?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” He said with a small scream. “Never use teenagers as an army of hell!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not quite, but it’s a beginning.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, nodding. “Get away from the door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz hesitated while deciding which glyph to use. No matter what she did, King could get hurt if she used the wrong one. The plant glyph could trap him, ice freeze him, and fire…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I need to do something!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her gaze went to her side bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes winded and she took out a small card with the plant glyph drawn on it. Her mind went back to earth for a second, to the first time she used the spell. She had managed to get barely dandelion out of it, and it had exhausted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked back at her bracelet. Eda had said she couldn’t control the output because of the bracelet being on her arm. She also said that Luz could try placing magic outside her body… but would it really work?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! They are turning!” King shouted and returned her to reality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The carriage was about to leave the outskirts and enter the forest that surrounded the prison. She didn’t have time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please work…” Luz whispered, and licked the back of the card, smashing it against the wooden doors and </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging </span>
  </em>
  <span>for it to be small!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just enough to break the door!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her wish had become true, thankfully. The glyph shined and a vine appeared, getting between the two doors, and growing once it was inside the gap. The plant card disappeared and Luz was thrown from the carriage, rolling on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she looked up, the back door had been ripped off and instead, a big flower stood there, both sides open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King! Jump!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little demon was the first one to get out. Then Luz saw Boscha’s gang jumping out, one of them charging with his unconscious friends. Luz smiled, watching King running towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I made a mess!” King cried in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just be careful, I was worried. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pequeño tonto</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Luz said, hugging him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up, the guards had stopped the carriage and were getting down. She moved out of pure instinct and raised her hand, the bracelet lit up and the plant glyph shined, the flower on the back of the carriage grew bigger, its vines holding all the guards coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better run for it,” Luz told King, standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King jumped on her shoulder. “Can you do that thing you did to reach the carriage?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not in this lifetime!” Luz turned around and used the ice glyph to make a wall between the struggling guards and them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was laughing while running back to town in no time at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed, glared at the glass on the wall beside her for about two minutes, and then relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been arrested before, that was nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Lilith seating in front of her with the coldest glare Eda had seen in years? Not so easy to deal with. They stayed like that for so long that her back was killing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn…” Lilith finally began. “I can’t believe what you’ve done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised an eyebrow at that. “What are ya talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith slammed a paper on the table. Eda looked at it and her pulse blasted. She barely managed to hold her expression from changing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s false birth certificate practically shined over the dark grey table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t tell me! Anything!” Lilith shouted. “How could you hide the fact that I had a niece?! For fourteen years!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Could she tense and relax at the same time? Eda was sure she just did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She has been living with you all this time?” Lilith asked, </span>
  <em>
    <span>growling</span>
  </em>
  <span> at her. “I’ve never seen her, Edalyn. What did you do with her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda frowned at her. “Bold of you to ask that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bold of you to act like you have a right! Any right to scream at me ‘bout this!” Eda finally screamed and stood up. “You never looked out for me in the fucking ten years after I got my curse!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I tried!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You went to </span>
  <em>
    <span>capture</span>
  </em>
  <span> me!” Eda hit the table. “You never, not even </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> tried to talk to me! And now you come here asking, lecturing </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> about not talking to ya?! That’s rich!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s stunned face was enough for Eda to realize she had just dropped her act. She had maintained a face for far too long with her sister, always careful of not showing her how much all that had been, how she had needed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was something both of them couldn’t deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never, even, tried.” Eda finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stayed silent. They kept the eye contact long enough for both of them to blink, once that battle of wills was done, they both looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…How is she?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda snickered. “You’ve seen her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know well that is not what I’m asking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The seriousness in that sentence surprised Eda. Not because of it being serious, but because of the lack of hostility. She looked back at Lilith and her gaze became soft against her will. Her sister wasn’t looking at her; she was concentrating on some invisible point far away, and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And she looked sad, yearning even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She… she is… special,” Eda said, looking down, suddenly, talking about Luz was so… weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I mean, she is weird, but is not bad!” She rushed to say. “She is just... peculiar? But she is not a bad kid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were a bad kid, and you weren’t peculiar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda scoffed. “Yeah, no kidding, sometimes she doesn’t seem to be mine… she spent all her childhood with her mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you really think a man could be able to hold me down?” Eda asked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith finally looked at her, and she was laughing. “You were always… versatile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s without saying much!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn,” Lilith said, and her voice was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “How is she like? Lucelyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled, looking at her hands. “She is kind and brave, she is not selfless, don’t get your hopes too high! But… But she is loyal, more than you or me… She is full of this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>light</span>
  </em>
  <span> that blinds you if you try to read her, understand her. She has these quirks, things she says, moments when she spaces out and she is far too gentle for her own good… but Titan, that kid would fight the world to save her friends… she is… she is perfect in an imperfect way, Lily.” Eda finished with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never thought you’ll be talking like this of a teen,” Lilith said, cupping her own cheeks with her hands. “Is she really all that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed a little, her eyes on her hands. “She is, and more… she is warm, and good, and… one of the things I’m actually proud to say forms part of my life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a good daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is the best one in the world,” Eda replied, looking at Lilith’s eyes. “I wouldn’t change her or any of her quirks for anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looks into the eyes of the woman on the other side of that table and she was capable of recognizing her sister that time, not the stranger she had been seeing and calling by her name the last twenty years. She saw Lily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that light didn’t last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what are you going to do?” Lilith asked, straightening her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do ya mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So much for bonding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sending her back with her other mother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a criminal, Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s what you want for her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t respond to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, you might like the life of an outlaw, but think of Lucelyn. Her future is pretty much held in your status.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She can cope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She shouldn’t cope!” Lilith replied. “A mother should try to help her daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have kids…” Eda muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yes, I don’t, but I would’ve taken Lucelyn in, she would’ve at least gotten into a good school if I was her guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d have her brainwashed with your ideals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you didn’t do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence was Eda’s response once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She should have the chance to decide what she wants for herself,” Lilith said, “same as you had.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t let me live with my choice so far,” Eda finally bit back. “Why would  you do the same with her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That time Lilith stayed silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith coughed a little. “Anyway, that doesn’t change the facts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn needs a better chance in the future, and you.” Lilith pointed at her gem. “You need to be healed. And the emperor can help with both of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The emperor is not as benevolent as you think, sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He promised, Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An everlasting oath?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then he is a liar, and you’re a fool.” Eda shook her head and stood up. “We are done here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn please…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good to see you, sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda closed her eyes and released her magic power in all directions; making a great spell circle she generated an explosion big enough to destroy the interrogation room. She saw the sky and felt the breeze, taking a second to assimilate it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Owlbert!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her staff flew at her and she broke the shackles around her wrist and her Pawlisman’s wings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to see Lilith, her heart swelled a little, but an image flashed from her memories. Luz, King, and Hooty, all smiling at her while watching a weird video on Luz’s human device.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye Lilith,” Eda said, getting on Owlbert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she flew away from her sister… back to her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>....Boscha has baggage, like, lot's of it if you saw.<br/>And immediate payback! Since yeah, not cutting the chase too soon with the sisters. I like Lilith's desperation, and I finally explored a bit more of it... even when is just in a twisted no-cannon way.<br/>Anyway, I'm going back to the questions! Since from here on is where things start to change the most. Feel free to ask, just remember that because of Spoilers I may or may not be able to answer. Anyway~ special thanks to Cidallel who followed this from the very beginning!<br/>Why you may ask? Well, I'll drop that!<br/>This fic is cut in two parts!<br/>And we are closing to the end of part one, that would be the last chapter I publish this year since the part will be posted in January!<br/>For correction and editing and other things, ofc, the quality needs to be higher in the second part.<br/>No more additions my dear ppl, thanks for reading and remember!<br/>Count down has started!<br/>G_U out~ Peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Something we found... and someone who sticks around</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Gus needs help with the H.A.S he reaches out for his friend Luz, who is more knowable than him on the matter. But what happens when the Clawthorne Bloodline gets mixed with a place like Hexside? And what are our heroes supposed to wait for when Lilith receives a new update on the Lucelyn 'case'?<br/>One thing is sure.<br/>Problems are about to rise.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Notes, notes, notes, we are almost on christmas month and I know everybody gets at least a bit excited. Not for christmas, people haves other festivities, but this is the commercial one, so sorry if you feel like I excluded something, is just right now I don’t have net to look it up, feel free to drop it on comment thou, so next week I properly greet you for your holidays!<br/>Back to the common topic, the chapter.<br/>This week we have the episode 9 adaptation, and we are going to see a lot of the gang… maybe, I don’t know what to say, I just put a lot of myself in this chapter and I’m really hoping you liked it at least a bit.<br/>ALSO, some of you may end up hating me a bit? Don’t know, It’s just a matter of getting to the end. So, I’ll leave ya to it!<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and it’s character don’t belong to me, this is a story made for the sole purpose of entertainment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Only by seeing ourselves in others, we can reach a real understanding. In the end, we are all the same, even if we don’t look like it”</em> </b>
</p><p>Augustus Porter was a prodigy, or so all the adults around him used to say... all the time.</p><p>He didn’t believe he was anything special.</p><p>Gus had never been to the ‘Owl House’ alone before; he had always leaned on Willow’s friendship with Luz to get close to such a place. He wasn’t bothered by being the ‘less-friend’ of their little best friend group. He knew where he stood when the two girls became such great friends and he was just in the middle.</p><p>Girls were scary, moreover when they had such amazing magic.</p><p>Hooty was asleep, thankfully.</p><p>“Luz?” Gus called, taking out his scroll.</p><p>Luz’s private chat, from Penstagram, was open and her response to his question about if he could visit her was as clear as he would get. He still tried to get this witch, even when she was such a mystery. Luz had spent so much time in the human realm that it was scary; Gus had lived his whole life wondering about humans, their ways, and inventions.</p><p>Yet Luz had seen it all, experienced them and lived through some of it!</p><p><em> “I need her for this…” </em>Gus thought, opening the door.</p><p>“I’m telling you, kid! It’s not like that!”</p><p>“Then how is it like?!”</p><p>Gus ducked down before a human skull could hit him on the face. He looked up to find Eda glaring at a pretty sweaty Luz, he also saw a lot of papers on the ground next to a lot of human treasures, and also there was a long ice spear in front of Luz.</p><p>“You need more concentration on the spot!”</p><p>“Two days ago I was ‘far too concerned’ with the spot!”</p><p>“Yeah! And now you are not concerned enough!”</p><p>“Uhm, Hi?” Gus managed to say.</p><p>“What?!” both women screamed at him.</p><p>Gus was a big boy, so he wasn’t afraid to admit that he screamed and jumped, falling butt-first to the ground.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, Gus!” Luz rushed to him, helping him up. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he said, “are you two… OK?”</p><p>“I’m OK, it’s the kid who doesn’t get it!” Eda shouted.</p><p>“Oh, sorry for not getting your <em> marvelous </em> lessons! Of course, anyone would be delighted about receiving explanations of how to do magic… with sounds!” Luz bit back. “You could <em> maybe </em> try to actually teach me!”</p><p>“Oh, you wanna go, kiddo?!”</p><p>“Bring it!”</p><p>Gus took Luz by the arm. “While I’m sure this is super important, but Luz, can I talk with you for a second?”</p><p>Luz growled a bit but nodded, allowing him to pull her to the other side of the room.</p><p>“What is it, buddy?” Luz asked, all bad mood gone the moment she turned her back on Eda.</p><p><em> “She is scary!” </em>Gus thought, smiling shakily. “I want your help with some of the ‘HAS’ problems.”</p><p>“With your human lovers’ club? Why?”</p><p>“There is this new kid, Mattholomule. He came in with a lot of forgeries!” He explained, biting his lip at the memory. “But all the other members couldn’t see through his lies, and he is now trying to get me demoted from my position as president!”</p><p>“Sounds like a jerk, that Matt-whatever you said the rest of his name was,” Luz said, “so, what do you want me to do?”</p><p>“You are much better than me with human treasures, could come to Hexside and help me unmask his lies?”</p><p>Luz smiled at him but let out a sigh the very next second. “I’d love to, really Gus, but I’m in a bit of a situation right now.”</p><p>“What? You were just discussing with your mom!”</p><p>“About my training Gus,” Luz replied crossing her arms, “my life is a bit more complicated, than a kid taking over my playdate.”</p><p>He backed off, Luz seemed to regret her words and looked away from him..</p><p>“I’m sorry, Gus. I didn’t mean to say like that… it's just- I’m under a lot of stress right now.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t be if you just got the damn lessons!” Eda shouted.</p><p>“You know how I could do that?! If I was in Hexside!” Luz barked back..</p><p>“Why?! There’s nothing for you in that dweebus factory!” Eda then looked at him. “No offense, dweebus.”</p><p>“It’s OK, I come from a long line of dweebuses.” Eda smiled at his response.</p><p>Luz stomped her foot on the ground, though. “Well, I would love to go someday! They teach magic there, proper magic! And that’s better than hearing half-assed explanations and unpacking junk in the ‘Eda’s coven’!”</p><p>Gus <em> had </em>noted the boxes around where Luz had that ice spike. Now he didn’t have to wonder why those were there.</p><p>“Oh, you think you are clever huh?” Eda said, stepping closer to them.</p><p>King jumped from his place on the couch. “Oh! Fight, fight, fight!”</p><p>“Can it, King!” Eda shouted and frowned at Luz. “First off, is the ‘Bad Girls Coven’, and second off, I guess you don’t want in on the t-shirt’s order?!”</p><p>She showed them a pretty nice drawing of a t-shirt that Gus would have actually bought.</p><p>“I don’t care ‘bout t-shirts!” Luz said, “I need to learn magic! And they teach that in Hexside!”</p><p>“Well, yeah. But… Argh!” Eda screamed, turning around. “I don’t wanna hear another word ‘bout Hexside. Unless is ‘Hexside’s on fire’ and ‘let’s go grab some front row seats’!”</p><p>With that and a pretty hard swing, the door was closed. And Gus could swear he heard Hooty waking up.</p><p>“You heard her, Gus,” Luz said, walking and dropping on the couch. “Sorry, I really wish I could help you.”</p><p>“Luz… I-I just need you to be there and say that those aren’t real human treasures, I won’t ask for anything else!” He begged.</p><p>“…Only that?”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>Gus saw Luz move in her place and then heard her mutter something that he didn’t understand.</p><p>“OK,” she said, “I’ll go tomorrow to help you.”</p><p>“Really?!”</p><p>Luz smiled. “Really, you are my friend, and this is important to ya, I can’t just leave you alone if you need me!”</p><p>“Oh Luz, thanks!” He said, hugging her.</p><p>“Yeah! I’ll be going to school and <em> also </em> saving the president!”</p><p>Gus laughed along with Luz, and they talked about the human trash in the room. Gus talked for hours and heard about all kinds of human things for even longer than that. He was always on the sidelines when Luz and Willow talked, but in that very moment, he felt a connection he would’ve expected from a friend sharing an interest, even when Luz didn’t seem to be as interested in humans as him.</p><p>She listened to him, cared about what he was saying, talked back… she didn’t treat him like he was a dumb kid, or invisible.</p><p>She treated him as a friend.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………............</p><p>You should know your day is bound to be bad when you wake up and your first thought is a straight-up:</p><p>“I hate this…”</p><p>Lilith stood up and walked to her bathroom, having the headquarters of the Emperor’s coven stationed on the palace might have sounded like a dream that became reality, but the truth was the while being a newbie you’ll be thrown to the dungeons, then, once you become a higher officer you’d sleep next to the kitchens.</p><p>And when becoming head of the coven, or the Emperor’s right hand, you get a room.</p><p>A really, <em> really small </em> room.</p><p>Washing her hair and making sure her dye didn’t come off was a nightmare in her two meter per two meter bathroom, she didn’t have a tub, just a shower, and anybody could wonder why she would end up having a bad day regularly.</p><p>Just like that day.</p><p>“I need a break…” Lilith whispered, drinking her morning potion.</p><p>Apple blood wasn’t enough for her anymore.</p><p>“I’m afraid you are not due to one, Lilith.” Kikimora was beside her, taking a small sip from her own mug. “We have many things to get done.”</p><p>“I know, I know…” she whispered, walking into the hallway.</p><p>She looked through the windows and the morning air on the landscape made her feel nostalgic.</p><p>She had seen that same image from years ago until that very moment.</p><p><em> “This is as high as one can get…” </em>Lilith thought with a sigh.</p><p>She had dreamed about it... but at that moment? It all was so… empty.</p><p>Her mind went back to the times from when she was a kid. When she was a teen. Her childhood home, her time in Hexside, the time she spent in her yard or the forest.</p><p>The time she spent with her sister.</p><p>She wondered how it was possible to be so apart from the very person she thought would never leave her, how could she be so away from her sister when she knew exactly where she lived.</p><p>There was also the issue of her niece.</p><p>Lilith had been… skeptical, but after finding the birth certificate, and after hearing her sister. She couldn’t dent the fact that she now was an aunt, she had more family than her sister.</p><p>And it was a <em> kid </em>.</p><p>She closed her eyes and tried to muster the image of Lucelyn in her mind, trying to remember her voice. But the only interaction she had to look out for was a duel where she wasn’t really paying attention to her, where she had tried to…</p><p>She groaned and massaged the bridge of her nose. “I’m a horrible person…”</p><p>She needed to find a way to help Lucelyn, Edalyn wasn’t going to be reasonable. She had never been, and the kid was in need of an education, more options than just… <em> coping </em>with her mother’s reputation tarnishing her future.</p><p>“Lilith!” Kikimora called her. “We have work ahead of us.”</p><p>“I’m coming!” she responded and took a long sip from her mug.</p><p>She had to deal with things one at a time.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“I can’t believe the kid!”</p><p>“Yeah, I know.”</p><p>“She doesn’t get it!”</p><p>“How couldn’t she?”</p><p>“Hexside is bad for her!”</p><p>“Obviously.”</p><p>Eda stopped her ratting and turned to King. “And you aren’t listening to me!”</p><p>The little demon raised his head from between his paws and stared at her.</p><p>“What is there to even listen to? Your complaints? Already heard all of them!” King said, standing up. “You just complain about Luz not seeing your point, of her talking back, and about her thinking differently about education than you!”</p><p>“That’s-!” She stopped, all her arguments coming back to her, “…true.”</p><p>“Of course it’s true!”</p><p>“But what am I supposed to do?” Eda asked, sitting next to him. “I’m trying to protect her, King. Hexside takes anything that’s different and turns it into mush!”</p><p>“Eda…”</p><p>“You know?” Hooty said, opening the door. “I eat insects, I turn them into mush!”</p><p>King stared at Hooty before shaking his head. “Eda, that’s your experience, Luz is different, in more ways than what we could expect.”</p><p>“True,” Eda said.</p><p>“She needs to take on things on her own,” King said, jumping to the ground. “Just as I’m ‘bout to get some cake!”</p><p>Eda sighed when King left the room, standing up and walking outside the house. She took out a piece of paper from her hair. She stared at the folded sheet of paper before opening it.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Hexside application form…”</em> </b>
</p><p>Eda closed her eyes and sat on the ground, looking at the stupid form.</p><p>“What could they teach Luz that I can’t?!” She shouted, looking at the ground. “…A lot, maybe…”</p><p>Her mind went back to her last conversation with Lilith. Luz’s life was bound with hers now, her little lie had grown into an amazing mess… But the facts stood strong.</p><p>Luz was her acting daughter. Eda had a-a… <em> responsibility. </em></p><p>“Ugh, that felt weird…” She sighed, standing up. “Do I really have to do this?”</p><p>“All I know!” Hooty talked.</p><p>Eda jumped and turned to glare at him. “Hooty! No surprises!”</p><p>“But I was here the whole time…” Hooty said, spinning his head.</p><p>“Whatever!” Eda sighed, getting a hand to her heart. “What was that anyway?”</p><p>“Oh, right!” Hooty got his head away from the door. “All I know is what you taught me, and I turned out just fine!” He finished, looking aside. “Oh, bugs!”</p><p>Eda stared at the house demon trying to catch flies and getting his neck twisted and knotted multiple times in less than a few minutes.</p><p>“I gotta get that girl into school,” Eda said, making a spell circle and starting to fill the form. “Fast!”</p><p>She called Owlbert and flew away when Hooty attempted to get a snail from the grass.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“That stupid wanna-be criminal!”</p><p>Amity sighed and looked up, finding Boscha glaring at a wall.</p><p>Her history classes were done, she had time to just relax in the self-study classroom but she hadn’t counted on the possibility of anyone going there on a free period.</p><p>She was wrong, and now she was stuck with Boscha.</p><p>If she was being honest, she could just walk out the room, but that would be too obvious and Boscha would start asking questions, making assumptions.</p><p>And that was never good enough.</p><p>So she kept quiet, letting her talk about whatever she wanted, and just tried to concentrate on her next assignment…  until the ‘Luz theme’ was touched.</p><p>“She just thinks she can outsmart me! Oh, but she is going to learn…”</p><p>Amity made a face. “Just what did she do?”</p><p>“She played me!” Boscha shouted, turning to face her. “She made me play a stupid game just so I wouldn’t turn her into ashes!”</p><p><em> “After our duel, I think you’d be the one ending like that.” </em>Amity’s thoughts were cut by Boscha's little rant turning physical against the table. “Did you lose the game? Because this is a new level just for playing.”</p><p>Of course, Boscha hasn't lost, she was the best at <em> everything </em> she tried, Amity hated it, but she had the talent and skills to brag, there was no way she had…</p><p>“What about it? She distracted me!”</p><p>…Lost.</p><p>“You lost? Like, wait. What was the game?” Amity asked, placing her books aside.</p><p>There was no way she could concentrate after hearing that.</p><p>“Throwing stupid balls through stupid hoops,” Boscha said, “she distracted me and I lost, but then she just ran away when I was looking for a rematch!”</p><p>Amity was at loss for words, Boscha was Grugby <em> Captain </em>for a reason, and she had lost in a ball game?</p><p>She was perplexed, and she was being modest about it!</p><p>“Luz bested you? On sports?” Amity said, and Boshca went silent. “Wow… sports.”</p><p>Why was Luz much more interesting then?</p><p>“She didn’t best me!” Boscha groaned. “I had to catch up with her later, and when we were about to fight, she just gave up!”</p><p>How many surprises was Amity supposed to hear?</p><p>“She did?”</p><p>“Yes! She just…just…! She gave up so she could take back her stupid pet demon from the guards!” Boscha shouted, “And she said she didn’t care about reputation after tarnishing mine!”</p><p>Amity giggled at that. “She sounds more mature than you.”</p><p>“Don’t you dare to be on <em> her </em>side! You are mine!”</p><p>The silence that came after that was so <em> dense </em>and heavy. Boscha was breathing so hard, and Amity was sure she was glaring.</p><p>“I’m not <em> ‘ </em> yours’ Boscha,” she said, standing up. “And contrary to what you may think, I don’t owe you <em> anything </em>, to be called like a possession.”</p><p>Boscha stared at her and blinked, she <em> then </em> tried to respond. “No, Amity, I didn’t mean it like that…”</p><p>“I don’t care how you meant it,” she cut in while gathering her things. “I think you need to sit with those words for a while.”</p><p>Amity walked out while Boscha still tried to call her out. She took a deep breath to try to avoid destroying her books.</p><p>How dared she to think she was something to <em> possess? </em></p><p>Amity had hated that stupid idea, all her life, her mother treating her like a stupid doll was enough; she wasn’t accepting that stupid idea from anybody!</p><p>She scoffed and reached her locker, opening it and throwing all her books inside, there, she saw the cover of another tome. She reached for it and took the volume out, her rage subsiding slowly.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Good Witch Azura Number 5”</em> </b>
</p><p>“So… Luz bested Boscha, eh?” Amity whispered, smiling.</p><p>She had seen what the other teen was capable of, a duel so dangerous and then a fight with a monster were good situations to pounder the abilities of a person.</p><p>And Lucelyn Clawthorne was proving to be just… incredible.</p><p>Amity remembered Luz’s red face in the library and giggled, turning around and leaning on the locker.</p><p><em> “She is such a dork.” </em>Amity thought while looking at the book. “But I li-”</p><p>She stopped herself there. What was she about to say?</p><p>Amity shook her head, hugging the book, and basically running to the bathroom. Once inside she left the book on the dry part of the sink and got the water running. She splashed her face two or three times before looking up.</p><p>Why was she so red?</p><p>“…This isn’t good…” Amity groaned, looking down at the sink.</p><p>That was definitely not good.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz felt sick by getting so close to Hexside.</p><p>She was excited, of course. But after a near to death experience with the guy who could just send anyone if he wanted to look at the school and they could get a visual on her, which would lead to another encounter with that guy…</p><p>She was being paranoid? She didn’t think so.</p><p>“Hey Luz, you coming?” Gus called her.</p><p>Luz nodded and got the hood over her head.</p><p>Hexside was almost identical to the last time she was there. Luz moved with quick, light steps, making sure to stay next to the walls. Gus seemed pretty happy with having her there. So she swallowed her angst, nothing was going to happen.</p><p>“You’ve already seen the school, right?” Gus asked as they passed one of the empty classrooms.</p><p>“Yeah, principal Bump got a student to show me around the first time I came here.”</p><p>“Oh, who was it?”</p><p>Luz didn’t have the time to respond when they ran into someone else, who didn’t have the decency to apologize after sending Gus to the ground. She kneeled next to her friend and helped him collect the papers that had just fallen out of his bag.</p><p><em> “Uh…?” </em> Luz thought, seeing a note with a big red rune she couldn’t quite understand.</p><p>“Mattholomule…” Gus growled, taking the note from her. </p><p>She Luz shook her head and glared at the new kid… for like two seconds, he was even shorter than Gus! And were those platforms?</p><p>She was being mean in her head, she shouldn’t be mean.</p><p>“Hey, you gotta be more careful, Augustus, we don’t want the president of the H.A.S getting hurt,” he said, cleaning the paper crown in his hands. “On his last day in office.”</p><p>…OK, maybe Luz could be a little mean, even a little was far too big for him.</p><p>“This must be your ‘human expert’?” He asked, looking at her.</p><p>Luz had felt the necessity of punching things, sometimes, but that was the first time she felt like punching someone so immediately. This Matt-whatever stared at her from different angles and even <em> sniffed </em>her!</p><p>“Seems like a regular witchling to me,” he said, “though she is cute.”</p><p>Luz kept herself from gagging.</p><p>“She might be a witchling, but she is still better versed in humans than you, or me,” Gus said, smiling, “Lucelyn, would you mind?”</p><p>“Not in the sightless Mr. President.” She took out her phone and flashed the same photos she had once shown Gus.</p><p>Matt-whatever’s face turned more and more into a panicked one with each photo.</p><p>“She is, indeed, a human expert,” Gus said when Luz put the phone away.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ve been doing this for years,” Luz added, smirking.</p><p>“She is here to authenticate your treasures,” Gus continued and took the crown back from him. “See you at the meeting.”</p><p>Luz walked behind him, feeling happy for Gus's little movement. But a little twig of guilt ran by the back of her head. She had just pretty much attacked a guy, of course, he was mean first, but still…</p><p>“As president of the H.A.S I should feel bad ‘bout dunking one of our members,” Gus talked, getting her attention. “But as Gus, I feel like doing this!”</p><p>Luz repressed her laughs at the little dance Gus started doing. “Wow, yeah Gus, yeah Gus, yeah Gus. Oh!”</p><p>They both laughed at that, Luz decided that it wouldn’t be that bad to leave the guy—she was going to call him Matt, that name was just <em> too </em> long—have that bit of pain.</p><p>She kept her eyes on her friend and the note from before poked out the side of his bag.</p><p>“Hey, Gus?” Luz touched his shoulder, making him stop. “What’s with those papers?”</p><p>If someone could lose all joy in a second, Luz had just seen it.</p><p>“What papers?”</p><p>“Gus…”</p><p>“…Is nothing, really... just… some stuff from classmates.”</p><p>Luz nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know I’m here to listen, too. Not only to win an argument in your club.”</p><p>Gus looked up at her and smiled, nodding. Luz returned the gesture and looked ahead. She caught sight of two things at that moment.</p><p>First, she saw Boscha shoving a girl aside to get into a classroom, and second? She saw her hit her head against a locker.</p><p>“Hey!” Luz ran to her, kneeling next to the shaking teen. “You OK?”</p><p>“Eileen?!” Gus shouted, getting next to her. “You OK?”</p><p>“You know her? Wow!”</p><p>Luz backed off a bit. She hadn’t expected a single eye instead of a face to meet her when the girl turned to them.</p><p>“A cyclops…”</p><p>“Eileen, are you OK? Can you stand?” Gus asked, offering her both hands.</p><p>She nodded, making a sound Luz could only describe as a shriek. Gus made her walk a few steps before letting her go. He smiled and handed her a handkerchief, waiting until she was ready to walk into class.</p><p>“Hey Gus, that was… nice,” Luz said, looking at the girl go. “I didn’t have to do anything.”</p><p>“Eileen is part of the H.A.S and we always hear about how wrong Boscha is most of the time in their classes. I’ve seen her a few times like that already.”</p><p>“Ouch. Why doesn’t she say anything?”</p><p>“To who? Most of the people in this school would let Boscha do what she wants just because her parents along with her little gang’s donate money to the school.” Gus replied, looking down. “Not all of us have those chances.”</p><p>“Gus…?”</p><p>He shook his head and looked at her. “We better move to the clubroom, it’ll be less… ‘exposed’, than the corridors.”</p><p>“Why did you say ‘exposed’ like that?”</p><p>“Luz, I’m not that dense,” he replied, “I can see you are uncomfortable with being here without being a student, but relax, nothing bad is going to happen.”</p><p>“...Yeah…Yeah, I know, it's just…”</p><p>“Hey, you don’t have to tell me all,” Gus stopped her. “You just be happy knowing I’ll support you when you need me, got it?”</p><p>Luz smiled at him and raised a hand. “Got it, now, give me a high five little man!”</p><p>“You are two years older! Don’t call me that!”</p><p>“Two years are two years, bro!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>Lilith was in the middle of her morning load of paperwork when the news got to her.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Kikimora laughed at her face. “As you heard, Lilith, the emperor is taking over your little… <em> family issue </em>, personally.”</p><p>“But-But why? This is just my sister and my niece!”</p><p>“I don’t have any recollection of you caring much about it if it was the emperor’s order.”</p><p>Lilith bit back her response and looked down at her desk. Kikimora seemed to enjoy her struggling.</p><p>“He will take action soon, so, rest assure, the little Clawthorne is bound to find her place… same as her mother.”</p><p>Lilith heard the door close and sat again, holding her head in her hands. What had she done? The Emperor took the situation into his own hands? That was insane! He didn’t even move a finger with all the actual work put on her with being the emperor’s coven head!</p><p>And now Edalyn and Lucelyn were…</p><p>She had to do something… Anything!</p><p>So Lilith stood up and got her cloak, walking down the stairs she looked at all the soldiers in the palace. Every single one of them was an elite force, someone who had mastered all kinds of magic at an at least decent level and was recognized to serve under the Emperor, all of them educated people, smart, brave…</p><p>“I’m telling you, man! They ate my sandwich!” screamed one of the guards.</p><p>The other responded, rather eagerly. “And I’m telling ya, it was you!”</p><p>…Not all of them.</p><p>Lilith got out of the palace and summoned her staff, taking flight before anybody could question her. The hot air hit her like a slap.</p><p>She hated the heat.</p><p>She could live with the cold, she actually liked it better. She could put on a coat, drink hot coffee or chocolate and it gave her a reason to have a fireplace. She could make so many things with the cold, and she enjoyed all of them.</p><p>But nobody could escape the heat. Just as she couldn’t escape the guilt creeping on her throat.</p><p>She had just set Eda’s life at risk, and even worse, Lucelyn’s too!</p><p><em> “I need to find them!” </em>She thought.</p><p>She needed to tell them to run, to fly as far as they could. She couldn’t leave the decision of what to do with them to the Emperor alone! He was the wisest witch of them all, granted. But he was also the most powerful and merciless of all.</p><p>She couldn’t leave her family to be destroyed.</p><p>Not again.</p><p>“Edalyn, please, please be there…” She whispered, making her staff go faster.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Hanging out with Luz was a rush… quite literally.</p><p>“The sports field is open?! Gus, we gotta totally look at it!”</p><p>Gus sighed and nodded. “Of course.”</p><p>He wasn’t really a fan of the place, sure, he was a born cheerleader, or so he was told by his family, but Hexside only had the ‘Banshees’, and Boscha wasn’t really that fond of him.</p><p>He could only cheer during inter-scholar games, so he wasn’t thrilled with the idea.</p><p>The field was fairly empty, the only two people in there being Skara and Amelia, no sight of Boscha anywhere, Luz had already run towards the benches and was waiting for him with a smile while looking at where the other two witches were.</p><p>“I came here when I had my tour,” Luz told him when he sat next to her. “But the place was closed, so I only saw it through the windows.”</p><p>Gus chuckled. “Yeah, the construction track had a test that day if I’m not wrong, the place was a mess.”</p><p>“I guess it was that,” Luz replied, “what are they doing?”</p><p>Gus looked down at the field where Skara was, apparently, trying to kick a ball while Amelia threw things at her.</p><p>“I think they are practicing for Grugby season.”</p><p>“Grugby?”</p><p>“You never heard of it?!”</p><p>Luz's face was an answer in itself. “…No?”</p><p>“How is that possible?!”</p><p>“I didn’t go to any school, I wasn’t informed of this!”</p><p>“But there is a pro league!”</p><p>“I’m not that into sports…”</p><p>Gus was ready to start a full explanation about how impossible that was, but his little moment was cut off by the burning sensation in his side, and… was he on the ground? How?</p><p>“Sorry!”</p><p>Gus looked up, a pretty angry Luz was glaring at someone who came up to them, Gus recognized the red legging of the bard track and looked up, finding a set of ash-pink hair and grey eyes looking down at him with worry.</p><p>...Worry?</p><p>“I’m so sorry guys! Amelia just sent the ball too high and...and... I’m so bad at this, sorry, really…”</p><p>“What the hell was that?!” Luz asked, helping Gus up. “You could’ve hurt him!”</p><p>“I know, and I’m so sorry!”</p><p>“Oh, you are going to be sorry!”</p><p>“Luz,” Gus said, holding his friend, she looked back at him. “It’s OK, it was an honest mistake, I don’t mind.”</p><p>“What? But-!”</p><p>“It’s OK,” he repeated before looking at the other girl. “It’s all good, don’t worry ‘bout it, Skara.”</p><p>“I’m so glad,” the bard witch said while getting a hand to her chest. “I’m really sorry, Augustus.”</p><p>“I’ve heard you, don’t worry- wait, you know my name?”</p><p>Skara looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Why wouldn’t I? You are a thing going on, with your talent and stuff… you are also friends with Willow, so you come up a lot when Boscha talks.”</p><p>“I do?”</p><p>“When she says mean things, maybe,” Luz muttered.</p><p>“I…I can’t say that’s not true,” Skara said, “but I also follow your Penstagram account.”</p><p>Gus was sure he was gaping. “You do?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Skara smiled and practically jumped in her place. “I mean; the human stuff you post is so funny! Also, I like your illusions; you could really help out in some of my classes where we have to make costumes and stuff!”</p><p>Gus felt heat going up to his face and looked down. Nobody had actually talked to him about his account or his illusions except Willow and Luz, and even they had only seen them once, not actually praising him the way Skara just did.</p><p>“Thanks…”</p><p>“Don’t sweat it! Being honest with you, I’d rather be doing stuff like that than this.”</p><p>“Why don’t you?” Luz finally talked again.</p><p>Gus looked at her and held back a sigh of relief at seeing Luz’s usual smiley expression instead of the death glare she had just a few seconds ago.</p><p>She was scary no doubt.</p><p>“Boscha wants her group being all ‘Banshees’, so I have to at least be a reserve player, not everybody has the luck Amity does and gets to say no to her,” Skara explained and crossed her arms while looking away. “Even thou I hate this game.”</p><p>“That sounds awful; can’t you just tell Boscha you don’t want to play?”</p><p>Skara chuckled before looking at Luz. “I just said it, right? Nobody goes against Boscha.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>Gus could answer that. “Because you’ll end up like Willow.”</p><p>“He’s right,” Skara sighed, looking down. “And that’s not fair…”</p><p>Luz hummed at their response. “So if you don’t do what Boscha says you get bullied and alone? Some things never change, no matter where you go.”</p><p>“What happened to Willow is not fair,” Skara said, “she has a lot of talent, and she is certainly one of the kindest persons I know.”</p><p>“And how do you know that?”</p><p>Gus had seen Skara nervous, but it was always something… small. At that moment, the bard witch seemed like she was about to uncover some kind of huge conspiracy theory.</p><p>“She helped me… before everything with Boscha even started,” Skara answered, “we were kids, and I got lost after my violin lessons, my parents were busy so they didn’t pick me up… I was close to the Park’s grocery store and… well…”</p><p>“Willow being Willow invited you and got her dad to call yours,” Luz finished with a smirk. “Is that right?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Skara laughed a little. “I doubt she even remembers that, but…but people are not usually that nice to me before they know who my parents are… Willow didn’t care, she just… she just helped me, you know? She is really kind.”</p><p>“If you really think so, why do you help Boscha bully her?” Gus asked, crossing his arms.</p><p>“I don’t <em> help </em>her, I hate what she does but…but I have to play along with her.”</p><p>“You ‘have to’?”</p><p>“If I want to keep my social life and stay out of my parent’s wrong side, yes, <em> I have to </em>,” she replied, and her hands closed harder around her arms. “I have to… but that doesn’t mean I like it, I try to distract Boscha, get her to think of other things, but for some reason, she is just…just bossed with Willow!”</p><p>“She could like her,” Luz commented.</p><p>Skara and Gus exchanged a look before looking back at Luz, the brunette looked back at them without saying anything, and the silence got longer, and longer.</p><p>They spent ten, maybe fifteen minutes there, no exaggeration… OK, yeah, maybe just two or three, but still.</p><p>“That’s…That’s not possible... right?” Skara asked.</p><p>Gus tried to chuckle, but it came out like a cough. “Yeah, yeah, impossible…”</p><p>“It is thou?” Luz asked, making them look at her again. “I mean, she is super obsessed with everything Willow does, with all the people who hang around her and doesn’t want people finding out how cool and cute Willow is…”</p><p>“Willow is pretty cool…” Gus mumbled.</p><p>“And like, super cool or whatever… her smile is really cute, too,” Skara commented.</p><p>Being fair, Gus would’ve thought about Skara’s words, but the notion Luz just brought up was <em> far </em>more intriguing.</p><p>He couldn’t dwell on it, though.</p><p>“Skara we need to keep practicing!” someone yelled at them from the play field.</p><p>“Shot! I’m going, Amelia!” Skara then bent down and took the ball, looking at them again. “I’m really sorry, about the, well, y’know, the ball and all the ‘hitting-you’ thing… and, it was… it was nice, talking to you.”</p><p>“Same! Maybe we can hang another time?” Luz replied, smiling.</p><p>Skara was, apparently, as surprised as him by that invitation. “Y-Yeah, sure! Sure!”</p><p> “Great! I’ll look at your account and message you, OK?”</p><p>“Yeah, perfect! Oh! And, Lucelyn?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Thanks, for saving my friends the other day,” Skara added with a smile. “You rock!”</p><p>The voice from before called again. “Skara!”</p><p>“Coming! Bye, guys!”</p><p>Gus watched Skara walk away and then looked to Luz. How could she make friends that easily?</p><p>She was a mystery altogether.</p><p>“Hey, don’t you think we should get moving?” Luz asked, looking at him. “I think we’ve been here a while.”</p><p>Gus panicked, looking down at his demon-alarm, they were going to be late if they didn’t get to the floor of the meeting in less than fifteen minutes!</p><p>“We have to go, now!”</p><p>Luz nodded at him. “Then let’s roll!”</p><p>“Roll?! We need to run!”</p><p>“I… it was… doesn’t matter, let’s go!”</p><p>Luz took his hand and pulled him along the way through the doors and the first-floor hallways, letting him go only when they reached the second floor. They were standing awkwardly next to a wall, the hallway fairly empty making their little stunt somewhat… safer?</p><p>Ugh, Gus was so tired he was even beginning to think weirdly.</p><p>“That was fun,” Luz said while stretching.</p><p>“That was <em> crazy </em>…” Gus whined, trying to recover his breath. “How do…How do you move so fast…?”</p><p>“Practice a lot, Eda kinda makes it a necessity,” she replied and Gus stared at her.</p><p>He caught the instant her face changed, and she was… distant, not sad just… absent for some reason.</p><p>“Hey, Gus?”</p><p>That got him to snap back into reality, thankfully. “Yeah?”</p><p>“You think Skara will be OK?”</p><p>He considered his reply carefully.</p><p>He didn’t know Skara <em> per se </em>. Sure, he knew of her by rumors, and the few times he saw her with Boscha, and he also learned a lot from the school gossip, so he knew about the musician witch that held up the best instrumental position in every play and concert.</p><p>Like Boscha and Amity, Skara was the ‘top society’ in Hexside.</p><p>“She’ll be fine,” he finally said, “Skara is tougher than you think.”</p><p>“I’ll just have to take your word for it. She seemed sweet… not like Boscha at all.”</p><p>“In that you are right,” he replied with a little laugh.</p><p>“Damn right I do!” Luz smiled at him before looking at a metal door. “Wow, we got to the plant track room? We ran a lot…”</p><p>Gus looked up and stared, he ran all that distance?</p><p>“Let’s say hi to Willow!” Luz said, taking him by the arm. “I’m sure she would be happy to see us!”</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>Gus moved with Luz to the door, looking through the small crystal window at the insides. He would never get used to the sight of so many deathly plants in a single place, so close.</p><p>Willow waved at them when they found each other’s eyes, and she seemed to want to walk up to them. But her teacher called her out.</p><p>“Now that I think about it,” Luz muttered, getting away from the door. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”</p><p>He stopped all movement at that moment.</p><p>“Yeah… ‘bout that…”</p><p>“Ugh, that kid Augustus did it again.”</p><p>“Won’t he ever learn to shut it?”</p><p>Gus’ eyes opened and he moved behind Luz, hiding. He looked ahead in the hallway and saw two boys with his same uniform color. They both were frowning.</p><p>“What is their deal?” Luz asked, looking at them.</p><p>Gus held her by the wrist. “Nothing, let’s just go, like, now?”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“Please, Luz,” he cut her, and the hallway was starting to get smaller. “Let’s just go…”</p><p>Luz looked at him and he looked down.</p><p>He just had to go and ruin the fun times, didn’t he? Just like always, for everybody…</p><p>“OK, let’s roll,” Luz said, walking back from where they came from. “And that’s a human expression.”</p><p>Luz took him back to the upper floors, they were close to the H.A.S classroom when she took him by the shoulders and shoved him inside an empty room, closing the door behind her.</p><p>“Luz?”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me they bully you?”</p><p>Gus felt as if she had just hit him in the guts.</p><p>“What are you-?”</p><p>“Don’t try to fool me,” Luz said, and the sharp look she was giving him made any attempt he was constructing die. “I know that kind of reaction, Gus, why didn’t you tell me? Or Willow?”</p><p>Gus stared for far too long and looked down. He gripped the strap of his bag with both hands. Why was the room becoming so small?!</p><p>“It wasn’t important.”</p><p>He waited for the burst, the scream of it being important, the sudden rage from Luz part about him being selfish and what-not.</p><p>But it didn’t come. He faced silence.</p><p>“Luz?” He asked, raising his head.</p><p>He didn’t expect the tears on the girl’s face.</p><p>“Luz, what’s wrong?”</p><p>She sobbed and rubbed her face. “You are, dingus.”</p><p>“Ah?”</p><p>“How can you say it’s not important if you are not OK?” Luz continued, “I know it feels like that… and hell, I understand you, but hearing it really makes it feel like a stupid reason…”</p><p>Gus gaped; feeling like the room had stopped closing. “What do you mean, Luz?”</p><p>Luz laughed and leaned on the door, sliding until she sat on the ground. She looked up to him with a smile, but that was <em> not </em> a happy expression, not at all.</p><p>“It hurts, right?” She asked, “not like a punch, nor a cut… is more like a sting, right?”</p><p>“What-?”</p><p>“And it’s like the needle goes deeper with every word.”</p><p>Gus stopped his question and stared at Luz, her smile passed from that sad picture to a knowing smirk. But it didn’t matter how much he tried to see the same Luz that just ten minutes ago was laughing, he couldn’t find her. That girl in there, in front of him…</p><p>Was almost a reflection of himself.</p><p>“…Is more like a burn,” he said, looking at his feet, “it doesn’t really <em> hurt </em>, but… you can’t… you can’t escape from it, it’s just there…”</p><p>“Stinging,” Luz completed. “And you can’t scratch it, nor put something on it… you just need to cope with it.”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>Gus walked until he was beside Luz and turned, leaning on the door and sliding to be sitting next to her. They both stared ahead, through the window maybe, but he wasn’t really looking at anything.</p><p>“My mom never took it seriously,” Luz commented after a few minutes. “She did care, and talked and… hell, what didn’t she do? But it never helped, it only…”</p><p>“Made it worse, so you stopped talking,” Gus completed then, “you stopped getting home with new ‘bad news’ and started talking about the ‘OK news’.”</p><p>“I didn’t mess up the school group project.”</p><p>“The teacher told me I was good.”</p><p>“I got an ‘A’ plus in my last paper.”</p><p>“I managed to get two spells today.”</p><p>“The nurse liked my gift.”</p><p>“Today I didn’t start a fight,” They both said.</p><p>“Every day it becomes easier to say ‘I’m OK’, and it just gets clearer that you are not, but they don’t notice,” Luz finished.</p><p>Gus nodded and looked at his friend. “I didn’t… I never…”</p><p>“Thought I was like you? I didn’t think of you being like me, either.”</p><p>“That is just… sad?”</p><p>“In a way, I guess.”</p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>“Yeah, oh…”</p><p>Gus moved his hand to his bag and took out the note Luz had seen. There, written in capital red runes shined the message from his classmate.</p><p>“You never told what that means,” Luz said, “I know many runes, but I can’t read that.”</p><p>His lips twisted. “It’s written wrong, but that’s kinda the point.”</p><p>“It is?”</p><p>“Yeah… it says ‘A broken mirror’.”</p><p>“…What does that mean?”</p><p>“It’s a thing in the illusionist track. You are supposed to reflect your own, distorting it is what the magic is about… a broken mirror is someone who doesn’t…”</p><p>“Have the magical talent?”</p><p>“Haves the ‘self’ to reflect,” Gus corrected, “it means you don’t have a personality, you don’t have anything on you…”</p><p>He ripped the note and threw it away.</p><p>“It means you are nobody.”</p><p>“Gus…”</p><p>“They are always like that, always mocking me… always leaving me behind… that’s why I started to use clones.”</p><p>“Clones?”</p><p>“I don’t like to be in class,” he said, “so I made an illusion clone to take it for me… I study the notes and just… present the test.”</p><p>“Wow, and they haven’t caught ya?” She asked, and he nodded. “Wow, you are good.”</p><p>“I moved a couple of grades like that… nobody can leave you behind if you are leading…” He laughed a little and took the crown from his bag. “That’s why being president of the H.A.S is so important to me… I make sure that nobody is left behind, nobody gets to be…”</p><p>“Invisible,” Luz finished, nudging him with her shoulder. “You did great, you know?”</p><p>“It doesn’t feel like that…”</p><p>“But it <em> is </em>like that, I couldn’t do half of what you did. Gus, I’m not that brilliant, I was a weirdo where I was before and I’m just so happy and glad you and Willow are my friends being here…”</p><p>“We are happy to have you around too, Luz!”</p><p>“I know, and it’s great but you know, right? Is… It’s hard to get used to it…”</p><p>Gus sighed. “Tell me about it… I’m surprised Willow put up with me.”</p><p>“Willow is the same as us,” Luz commented, “Boscha has made sure of it.”</p><p>Gus nodded, he knew of it, it was the main reason he hadn’t talked about <em> his </em>problems with Willow, the girl already had enough on her plate… as did Luz, and him.</p><p>“How come we all have the same problems?” Gus asked, staring at the air in front of him.</p><p>“Destiny playing a pretty bad prank?” Luz offered,</p><p>It sounded right enough.</p><p>“Hey, Gus,” Luz said, leaning on him. “Talk to us, to Willow… to me, please.”</p><p>Gus nodded, slowly. “Then, you two can talk to me, right?” he asked, “I’m your friend, too.”</p><p>“I’ll try if you do.”</p><p>“Deal.”</p><p>“Deal.”</p><p>They laughed at that, staying seated for a few more minutes in silence. Gus looked through the window again, the room wasn’t as small as before.</p><p>“You don’t need to be president, you know?” Luz said.</p><p>“Mmm?”</p><p>“I saw what you did for Eileen, you were kind, attentive… you don’t need to be president to do that… you are a great person Gus. You don’t need a crow to remember that… Willow and I are always going to be there for you.”</p><p>“…Thanks, Luz.”</p><p>“No problem, now, stand up, stand up!” she said, doing so. “We have an election to win!”</p><p>Gus followed Luz, and they both got into the club classroom. Mattholomule was already there with the rest of the club.</p><p>“She says to be a human expert but those are lies!” he screamed and looked at them. “You, Augustus, were you bribing the ‘human expert’ to vote my treasures false?! How could you?!”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Luz asked.</p><p>“Don’t try to play dumb, I know you were forging the verdict!”</p><p>The rest of the club was turning with Mattholomule words. Gus stared at him, his movements were all so… desperate.</p><p><em> “He almost seems… scared?” </em>Gus thought while looking down at the crown of the president of the club.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“You don’t need to be the president of a club.”</em> </b>
</p><p>He smiled at the memory of Luz’s words.</p><p>“What is so funny, you liar, cheater, loser-!”</p><p>“You win,” Gus said, passing him the crown, “you can be president.”</p><p>“…What?”</p><p>Luz placed a hand on his shoulder. “Gus?”</p><p>“Is OK, Luz,” Gus said, smiling at her, before turning to Mattholomule. “Congratulations on your victory, have fun.”</p><p>“Wha…What is this?” Mattholomule asked.</p><p>“I’m giving you what you wanted.”</p><p>“But… But… Why?!”</p><p>Gus smiled and looked at Luz, shaking his head. “You seem to need it more than me.” He turned to the rest of the group. “It has been an honor to be your president.”</p><p>He made a salute and turned, walking outside the room.</p><p>He felt so… free in that single moment.</p><p>He turned when he heard a crash and a cry. Luz walked with one of the happiest expressions he had seen.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“He <em> tried </em>to flirt with me, in a pretty… lame way,” Luz said.</p><p>Gus stared and then burst into a fit of laughs. “I can’t believe it.”</p><p>“You better.” Luz scoffed. “He could at least try to ask nicely, not… that, he even tried to kiss me.”</p><p>“Don’t wanna hear.”</p><p>“I don’t want to remember,” Luz said, patting him on the back. “Now what, Mr. no-president?”</p><p>Gus smiled. “Get to see what Willow is doing?”</p><p>“I like that plan.”</p><p>………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p><p>Eda dropped the form on the desk and took a seat. She waited for about five minutes before the man sighed and raised his head.</p><p>Eda smirked when he looked at her. “Hello there, Bumpkins.”</p><p>“Edalyn…” he said, “to what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?”</p><p>Eda shook her head and whistled, taking a pencil and balancing it on her upper lip, she also put her feet on the desk and smiled at him.</p><p>“I gotta admit, is extra weird being here without you screaming at me ‘bout starting a fight or stealing.”</p><p>“I can fix that, easily.” Bump replied and made a spell circle and Eda was thrown to the ground. “Just tell me what you want Edalyn.”</p><p>Eda stood up and looked at him in the eyes before letting out the most, humiliating, horrible, and ‘sure-never-gonna-say’ words in her vocabulary…</p><p>“I need you to let my kid in here.”</p><p>“Here?”</p><p>“Hexside.”</p><p>Bump did seem surprised. “Excuse me? You, the ‘Owl Lady’, renegade witch, the same woman who left Hexside all those years ago… Wants her kid to study in the same school she abandoned?”</p><p>“Yeah, pretty much.”</p><p>“…Sorry, but I have to be skeptical of this, Eda.”</p><p>“You saw what she is capable of, right?”</p><p>“Four spells, nothing special.”</p><p>“Five, she got the one to call her scroll.”</p><p>“Any witch can do that.”</p><p>“With wild magic?”</p><p>“If she can do wild magic, why do you want her to attend here?”</p><p>Eda bit back her response.</p><p>Talking about Luz being targeted by the Emperor could only go one direction.</p><p>“Truth is…” How easy was it to lie by saying that? “Lucelyn has such potential… potential that I can’t explore myself, she is a brilliant kid and… and she wasn’t with me the first years of her life.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“I’m a criminal, Bump, you know that. And the world knows that, too. I couldn’t possibly keep her safe with all the stuff going around me. I wanted her to have a life where she could be proud of her name.”</p><p>“So you sent her away?” Bump asked, leaning closer to her. “Doesn’t seem like you.”</p><p>“Having the kid changed a few things ’bout me.” She smiled at the recognition of it. “Something went down, won’t tell you what, but it was bad, and Luz came to live with me. Now she can take care of herself, I know this! But… But she needs more than her mom and a talking house and pet demon.”</p><p>“She does, doesn’t she?” Bump said, a smile taking place on his lips. “And you think Hexside haves what she needs?”</p><p>“I know it has what she wants,” Eda said immediately, “friends, people to grow with, and classes with more theory than anything I could teach her… She needs this, Bump; she needs this place so she won’t…”</p><p>“End like you?”</p><p>“So she can be better than what I’ve always been,” Eda accepted. “She is worth the chance.”</p><p>Bump looked at her, his eyes studying her from head to toe, just like the first time she got into trouble all those years ago.</p><p>“Come on.” She moved closer, decided to push. “I was one of your smartest and most talented students, minus my attitude; you know my kid will crush your courses if she wants.”</p><p>That seemed to make the trick.</p><p>“Very well Edalyn, I’ll consider Lucelyn for our next semester in Hexside.”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“But before even doing that,” he said, “there is still much to answer for.”</p><p>Eda’s mood dropped. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.</p><p>“Oh, come on Bump! I know you loved my kid when she came without my consent! What could she have done?!”</p><p>“Oh, I’m not talking about Lucelyn.”</p><p>Eda then saw how Bump dropped a ton a huge block of papers and carpets in front of her, sitting back in his chair.</p><p>“I’m talking about the necrotic experiments, the graffiti, the scams, the cheating, Miss. Jenkinmeyer teeth. The troubles <em> you </em>caused when you were here, Eda.”</p><p>She stared at the pile for a few seconds before her mind kicked back into function. She just wished she had said something more.</p><p>“Uh, I thought there’d be more.”</p><p>She really did like the kid, didn’t she?</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Willow, are you sure this is OK?”</p><p>“To be honest? No. If anybody else asks? Yes!”</p><p>Luz laughed hard at that, poking the giant plant.</p><p>It roared and almost ate her.</p><p>Luz sprinted outside the plat track room before the teacher could see her and left Willow to deal with the plant—her friend had <em> asked </em>for it—while she ran to Gus, who made an illusion to cover them and avoid the small mob of angry students that left the room.  Willow came out after them with the teacher.</p><p>“I don’t know what happened, professor-”</p><p>“I know Willow, I know,” the teacher said, shaking their head. “I’ll dismiss the class for the rest of the day, you treated the plant pretty well, I may never grow tired of your progress.”</p><p>“It’s not, that amazing…”</p><p>The teacher patted Willow on the head. “You are remarkably talented witch Willow. I hope you can see it some time.”</p><p>Luz looked at Gus and smiled, he did the same with her.</p><p>They waited until the teacher was far enough down the hall. Gus dispelled the spell and they both walked to the slightly red Willow, hugging her.</p><p>“What is it, guys?” Willow asked, pushing them.</p><p>“You are such a good girl!” Luz said.</p><p>“We couldn’t be prouder!” Gus added.</p><p>Willow smiled at them. “…This is not saving you from any stupidity you did.”</p><p>“Damn,” Luz and Gus said.</p><p>Willow broke in laughs alongside them and they started to move. The rest of their walk was filled with talk about classes between Willow and Gus, Luz hearing attentively at their voices. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing her mind to wonder, what could it be like? What could it be to have friends to talk about classes? To study the subjects she really did enjoy? To have someone waiting to hear all the good things that happened during her time out?</p><p>She never had that.</p><p><em> “Camila always tried…” </em> Luz thought, looking down.</p><p>Camila, her mom… the woman who always tried to make her fit, to change her so she could have a normal life… who loved her deeply.</p><p><em> “This is not the time for this.” </em>Luz thought, shaking her head.</p><p>Her eyes fell on a wall full of photos, plates, and medals.</p><p>“An honor wall?” Luz said, stopping her walk.</p><p>Luz stared, looking at the multiple students’ photos. She caught sight of Amity as the top student in class matters, she also saw the captain of the ‘Grugby’ team featuring Boscha, and then the best musician in the year being Skara.</p><p>“I didn’t know they were, like, a holy trinity here,” Luz commented.</p><p>Willow walked next to her. “Yeah, they are pretty much Hexside’s royalty.”</p><p>“Boscha is the one that takes up to the role the most,” Gus added.</p><p>Luz’s mind went back to a few days before, her ‘talk’ with Boscha had been weird, and the desperation was too much for Luz to even begin to understand her. Boscha had been so scared of losing, so terrified of not being the best at all she did…</p><p><em> “So this is a part of it. huh?” </em> Luz thought, studying the picture a bit more.</p><p>“It’s no use to stare at it,” Willow said after a while, “it doesn’t change who they are.”</p><p>“We already saw all that the school has,” Gus said, “and you knew more than me in some areas, whoever gave you the tour, they made sure you wouldn’t forget soon about it.”</p><p>Luz smiled at that. Amity’s smiling face flashed in her memory. Why couldn’t she just be that happy girl Luz saw, but apparently, no one else had?</p><p>“…Luz, didn’t you say Eda hates Hexside?” Willow asked.</p><p>She looked at her. “Yeah, why?”</p><p>“She is standing over there with principal Bump.”</p><p>Luz may or may have not hurt her neck when she turned maybe a little too fast.</p><p>But it was worth it when she saw Eda there.</p><p>“What is she doing here?” Luz asked, smashing herself next to a locker.</p><p>Gus got next to her. “Why don’t you go and ask?”</p><p>“Is a joke, right? You saw how she reacted when we just <em> talked </em> about Hexside! If she sees me here…”</p><p>“I think you’ll get surprised,” Willow said, taking her hand. “Come on, it can’t be that bad.”</p><p>“Yeah, we’ll be with you all the way,” Gus said, pushing her ahead.</p><p>“Wha-? Guys, wait!”</p><p>Luz felt the pressure gaining on her, her heart racing. Was she about to have another lecture from Eda? Would they fight? Will she have to face disappointment from her? Or…?!</p><p>“…I washed up all the graffiti, apologized to Miss. Jenkinmeyer for stealing her teeth, caught all the wild ‘brainy’, too,” Eda said, “now we should be good.”</p><p><em> “Good? Good ‘bout what?” </em>Luz thought; all her emotions from before stopping.</p><p>“It will be really exciting to have another Clawthorne as a student here,” Bump said, “I just hope she took after her other mother, or this could’ve been a bad investment.”</p><p>“Don’t ya worry, she is going to crash your students in no time!”</p><p>“That’s partially what I’m afraid of.”</p><p>“Eda?” Luz finally spoke.</p><p>Both grown-ups turned at the little group, Luz looked at her—surrogate—mother in the eyes. What was happening there?</p><p>“Hey, kiddo!” Eda said, “Guess who got ya into Hexside?!”</p><p>“What?!” Luz replied, looking at principal Bump. “But… but… But she hates it here, and she is a criminal!”</p><p>“And she is, also, your mother,” the principal said, “who just cleaned all the messes she left behind after twenty-five years, she just fixed most of Hexside!”</p><p>“So that’s why the prediction graffiti was gone?” Gus asked.</p><p>“Ah, that was a good one,” Eda said, “it told you who would be hosting the next test and you could learn how to cheat it…”</p><p>“It was really a problem, Eda.” Bump muttered.</p><p>“Besides, Bump here already told me he won’t be telling the emperor’s coven we are here,” Eda told Luz, patting her head. “So don’t worry.”</p><p>“You… you won’t?” Luz asked, looking at principal Bump in the eyes.</p><p>“I’m the principal, not a snitcher,” he replied, almost looking insulted. “Hexside is safe for you both… besides, losing the Clawthorne bloodline would be so depressing. Even as counterparts, the Clawthorne sisters were each, one of the best students in Hexside history.”</p><p>“Eda was a ‘best student’?” Gus and Willow asked alongside Luz.</p><p>Eda glared at them. “Hey!”</p><p>“Her grades were exceptional!” Bump responded with a grin, moving his hands around. “It was her… behavior, what left much to ask for.” He sighed and looked at Luz. “You have the talent, I’ve seen it, and you also have to fill up the expectations, all in all. I’m happy to inform you, you’ll be enrolling in Hexside next semester.”</p><p>Luz gaped, her mind going at all the things she had just heard and stopping in the last line.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Enrolling in Hexside next semester.”</em> </b>
</p><p>Luz jumped into Eda’s arms. “Yes! Yes! <em> Yes! </em>Thank you, Eda!”</p><p>“That’s amazing, Luz!” Gus and Willow said and jumped at her once she let go of her mentor.</p><p>“She is indeed interesting,” Bump commented to Eda when Luz stopped her little rant with her friends.</p><p>“I told ya,” Eda said, “anyway, it’s been far too long for me to be in here, lets go home, Kiddo!”</p><p>Luz’s smile grew bigger.</p><p>“Yes, mom!” She said, “Bye guys! See you tomorrow?”</p><p>“Bet on it, pal!” Gus said.</p><p>Willow smiled at her. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”</p><p>Luz nodded and turned to go with Eda. The woman placed a hand on her shoulder while they were walking. It wasn’t until they were pretty far away from the others that Luz dared to speak.</p><p>“Are you sure about this?”</p><p>Eda scoffed. “No.”</p><p>“Then, why?”</p><p>“Because it's what you want. And I know you are too smart to fall for that, one coven thingy.” Eda pulled her closer. “And you could even show them a little of the way we do things in the bad girl coven.”</p><p>Luz left out a giggle. “I’ll try.”</p><p>“Good, now, let’s get home before King starts wondering if he could die from starvation for not having a snack.”</p><p>Luz nodded and scooted closer to Eda, closing her eyes and letting the woman guide her. She was going to go to school, she had friends waiting for her, she had someone who was doing things for her without gaining anything and just because Luz wanted it.</p><p>She had a… a family, a <em> home </em> to go back to.</p><p>She was still looking for her parent, she was still uncertain of so many things…</p><p>But she was OK with it… she just wanted that moment to last, even if just a little.</p><p>She wanted that happiness to last just a bit longer.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Eda was happy to fly away from Hexside, her mind already free from the complications of getting Luz to be accepted in. Also, her little to no-existent conscience was a bit quieter now she had done some amends.</p><p>That didn’t help her mood when she saw Lilith discussing with Hooty.</p><p>“Tell me where my sister is, you stupid house demon! Or I’ll burn you down!” She heard Lilith scream.</p><p>But Hooty didn’t budge. “Naha, not a snitcher.”</p><p>Eda smiled at the demon’s remark, that thing couldn’t shut it, but he wasn’t a liability at least.</p><p>“This is important!” Lilith shouted, “Lucelyn is at risk!”</p><p>Eda tensed.</p><p>“What is she talking about?” Luz asked.</p><p>“Don’t know, kiddo. But I don’t like it.” Eda said, landing. “Lily!”</p><p>Her sister turned and Eda had counted the times after her teen years when Lilith had been like that.</p><p>Completely and utterly <em> terrified </em>.</p><p>“Edalyn, thank the Titan-“</p><p>“What are ya doing here, Lily?” Eda cut her off. “And what do you mean of my kid being in danger?”</p><p>Lilith reacted as if Eda had hit her. Looking away and crossing her arms. Eda studied her sister. She was trembling, hands gripping her arms so hard that the fabric was tensed, her eyes going from one point on the ground to her.</p><p>“Lilith, what happened?” Eda pressured.</p><p>She felt a tug in her side and looked at Luz. “She doesn’t look so good Eda…”</p><p>“I know, and that’s what’s bothering me.”</p><p>Eda walked closer to Lilith, the little details becoming more and more obvious. Her hair was a mess, her expression was far from her usual calm demeanor and even her nails were ruined.</p><p>“You ate your nails again,” Eda said with the worry settling in her tone.</p><p>Lilith looked at her hands. “I… I did…”</p><p>“Lily,” Eda called out, she tried to do it softly. “What happened?”</p><p>Lilith took a couple of sharp breaths before getting a hand through her hair. She then looked at Eda in the eyes, the fear, uneasiness, and agony. All of that was second to the resolution in her gaze.</p><p>“…The Emperor took the case with Lucelyn,” Lilith said, “personally.”</p><p>…What?</p><p>“You are joking, right?” Eda asked with a shaky smile, something was creeping inside her. “I can’t believe you would come out here just so you-”</p><p>“Edalyn,” Lilith interrupted her, “he took the situation in <em> his </em>hands.”</p><p>“No! No, no, that man has never even bothered to move from his castle since he got the power!”</p><p>“He has a reason now.”</p><p>“Which one? Is my Kid!”</p><p>“Is my niece too!”</p><p>“He doesn’t care!”</p><p>A new voice whispered in her ear. “Oh… but I do, ‘Owl Lady’.”</p><p>Eda tensed, her entire being paralyzed from a moment to the other.</p><p>“You brought him here…” Eda said, realization hitting her.</p><p>Lilith stared at her. “Edalyn?”</p><p>“You brought the bastard here!”</p><p>Eda turned and from the ground, masses of shadows came out, multiple parts of them turned into chains, holding in her place. Eda pushed her magic through, calling Owlbert.</p><p>“Eda!”</p><p>Luz was being swallowed by the shadows.</p><p>“Luz!” She shouted back, moving, the chains <em> burned </em>.</p><p>“Edalyn!” Lilith screamed. “Edalyn, stop!”</p><p>“Never!” Eda responded, “I’m not leaving her! I’m not giving up on my kid!”</p><p>“Eda! Help!” Luz cried out, both of her hands seemed to be held down by the same chains that held hers. “Eda! It hurts!”</p><p>“Luz, I’m coming!”</p><p>She couldn’t move, the shadows grew wider, darker, and stronger.</p><p>She couldn’t move, Luz was disappearing slowly into the ground; her cries were just as bad as Eda’s worst nightmare, <em> a desperate voice </em> trying to reach her.</p><p>She couldn’t move, the shadows enclosing her with a swift movement, trapping her.</p><p>“Edalyn hear me please!” Lilith's voice came from behind her.</p><p>She growled and finally broke the chains. “I don’t have anything to hear from you!”</p><p>Eda jumped ahead, her hand was stretched, ready to hold Luz… and there was a third voice, the same from before.</p><p>“Thank you, Lilith, you have completed your task.”</p><p>Eda then was hit on the back of her head, the shadows got a grip on her again, trapping her.</p><p>And just like that… Luz was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Drafting notes real quick because I don’t have a net and my mobile data sucks!<br/>So yeah, another cliffhanger, what did you think of it? Also, poor boy Gus needs more love, and yeah, I thought about this when I first saw the episode, who needs clones if they are not escaping from something?<br/>Next week is the last chapter of the year! Not so happy about it, but do not worry, In the first week of January I’ll be back!<br/>For now, Leave the questions, theories, or simply the suggestions you have for me to improve my writing skills since I’m going to spend all December reading books about it.<br/>Special thanks to all my readers who commented before and will probably, but not surely do it now for giving me the boost I need to keep writing this story! Love ya all!<br/>That will be all for now, I’ll read ya next week!<br/>G_U out~ Peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Destiny calls... And it's a Bitch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Trapped, separated, and hopeless, what does the bleak future has prepared for the Clawthrone family?  What does Belos want with Luz? And what will happen to the sister's relationship?</p><p>WARNING: Triggering words and Violence, also a bit of Self-Harm. <br/>please, read with discretion and care. </p><p>You've been warned!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>One day late, sorry 'bout that, got a fever and my situation is just getting worse and worse at home (adult stuff) but here we are, the last chapter of the years, I hope you are ready for it!<br/>Not gonna lie to ya, this chapter is a bit different and you need to be extremely careful when reading, since this one has the following elements! (Please be aware of triggering words, please!!! be aware of the triggering words!!!)<br/>1.- Blood<br/>2.- Graphic description of Violence<br/>3.- Self-harm (thou, this one is more like a movie version of it, but still, placing it here, please, be aware of it)<br/>Leaving all the creepy and extreme stuff aside, this chapter is also charged with a little surprise at the end. Not telling ya what it is, just that is there.<br/>There is not much else to be added, just that I hope you like it (with the gore stuff and such) and that it reaches the expectations!</p><p>Disclaimer: The Owl House and their character don't belong to me, this story s made with the sole purpose of entertainment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“The only thing we are destined for; is the moment to choose.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s first reaction was to reach out for Luz, and she almost had her hand in hers, there was just a few inches between them, a few inches keeping her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the spell pulled them apart, and Luz vanished into the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes in a snap motion and pushed against the restrictions. The shadow chains were too strong, too hot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too horrible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn this shit…” Eda whispered, pushing again, the backslash worse than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, traitor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t need to look at Lilith to know she just flinched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, you have to believe me. I didn’t know he was following me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And him thanking you was he just being nice?! Don’t try to fool me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t bear her to be with me, could you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t have anything to do with this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has everything to do with it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda moved her head, Lilith was immobilized next to her, the same chains, same shackles, same shadows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Same despair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, I never wanted this to happen!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what did ya want, then?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell ya what you wanted. You wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>kid!” Eda said, and looked away. “You thought I was a bad mother! That I didn’t deserve to have her with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just wanted to take her away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to give her a better life!” Lilith screamed back. “You are a criminal, Edalyn! You can’t even give her a proper place to sleep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She has a roof!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In your demon house?! What kind of roof is that? That stupid thing is full of parasites!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you insult Hooty! Only we can do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then! Let’s talk about the other things, shall we?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are ya blabbering about now?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith laughed at her. “I’m talking about the lack of full study in your baggage! The fact that all your acquaintances have doubtful backgrounds! Or maybe the fact that you’re cursed! Or maybe even the astonishing truth of you not caring at all about her future!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda bit back her reaction, the pain running through all her body with every word. She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, she looked at Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I may have been like that, but that’s not the case anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“People doesn’t change that easily-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t easy!” Eda shouted. “It was hard and painful, and simply stupid and unnecessary, but I did it none the less!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith scoffed. “I won’t be fooled by you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got money from The ‘Bat Queen’!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hardly worthy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sold all the human things I found! I hit the books of the library again, I even read </span>
  <em>
    <span>maternity </span>
  </em>
  <span>books! I have two friends from my school years that have a nice life and keep themselves out of trouble-!” Eda looked down. “I got supplies for a year to deal with my curse…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt like crying all of the sudden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I even got the kid into school today…” Eda whispered, “… I even cleaned all my graffiti… </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>apologized... So why…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Edalyn?” Lilith talked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it all, Lily… All I could… So why? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why… what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked up, facing Lilith with a face that must’ve been covered in tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you try to take her away from me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tree branches and bird sounds were the first things Luz registered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up, slowly and carefully. Her surroundings were calm, but that was far too creepy in the isles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz placed her hand to her face. “What just happened…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind went back to Lilith, to Eda, the house… and then darkness. Shadows creeping around her and… holding her, pulling her, making it impossible to move her hand or even concentrate enough to run magic through her bracelet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then… then there was nothing, nothing but a voice whispering in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Time to make a choice.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a mess…” Luz said, shivering. “I gotta go back to the house…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared at the multiple directions before giving up and running magic through the ice glyph. The ice pillar rose fast and steady until she was over the treetops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw in all directions, a huge and thick mist—or maybe those were clouds?—was covering all the possible landscape, making it impossible for her to see where to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was lost in the ‘Boiling Isles’, and she was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better move…better move before it gets dark…” she said, using her glyph again and making some rough steps out of the pillar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked once her feet touched the ground, moving in the direction that seemed to be the clearest. All the forest had gone silent, even the birds from before had stopped singing and Luz felt completely…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Alone…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t worry, Eda will find you…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, crossing past a tree. “Just keep moving…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked for hours, or at least it felt like it, her legs started to get tired and her mind was becoming fuzzier with every step. Was she still walking in a straight line?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a noise and she stopped, looking to the side. She saw an antler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, there little buddy…” Luz whispered, closing the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw other animals then, she saw birds, and bunnies, she also saw deer, all animals she had seen once on earth. She closed the distance with them, making sure not to scare them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But one of them noticed her and ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The animals were alerted by that and started to turn towards her, all of them. Luz stared helplessly at how they sprinted away from her, a sense of dread building inside her and she suddenly wanted to cry, deeply from her heart, and with all she got, she just wanted to break into tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you run away from, too…?” Luz whispered, and her voice was a lot higher than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down, her hands were smaller, her bracelet was gone and she was wearing a sweater!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz touched her face, it was rounder, meatier… her hair was longer, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening here?” she said, looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw a little puddle and ran to it, stopping when she was about to step on it, she looked at her reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...She was seven years old, again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The forest, the animals, the silence, the loneliness, the fear…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like the day she discovered her powers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no… this can’t be real…” Luz whispered, closing her eyes. “This can’t be real, this can’t be real…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice whispered in her ear. “But what if it is…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if…?” the voice repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>It can’t!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz screamed and opened her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in her left arm stung her and she raised her hands. A blast of flames came out of them, the mist around her—when had that thing appeared?—dispersed with the explosive wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down again, the puddle was shivering, but she could see herself again, her actual self.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was impressive,” the voice from before said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that time it wasn’t a whisper, it came from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz ran energy on the ice glyph, sending a wave of ice spikes behind her and turning to face the person who had just played with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect to see emperor Belos there, just for him to banish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn, hello,” Belos said, appearing out of thin air, closer to her, “or would you prefer? Luz, perhaps?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped a few steps away from her. “It’s really curious, the fact, of that being your first question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Answer me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are in the deep woods of the ‘Boiling Isles’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you bring me here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the theme we have to discuss is fairly important,” he said, making a move with his hand, “and it would require some… discretion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…What was that from before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos made a sound that she supposed was a chuckle. “A projection spell, it allows me to see the memories from others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Memories?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, backing off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not worry, it’s not like I can see what I wish, no. This technique just allows me to see incredibly powerful and emotionally charged moments… just as that one, when you felt so… alone? That seems to be adequate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was shivering. Belos’ prescience had something to it that made her body go stiff. Her heart was racing and all her instincts were screaming for her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>run</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, she was frozen in her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want from me?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos made a sound but didn’t talk. He, instead, walked closer and closer. Luz tensed more and more with each step, her senses going into overdrive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another step closer, and her heart was about to burst outside her chest, her pulse pumping in her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another step closer, and her bracelet started to vibrate on her arm, the heat in her limb was hurting her, the scorching sensation increasing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another step closer, and she felt like her breath got cut off, she couldn’t breathe, her eyes flew from Belos approaching figure to any possible escape route, but she couldn’t see any.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos passed next to her. “Walk with me, and I shall reveal your future to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?” Luz asked; the shivering getting worse. “What could you know about my future?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the Emperor. I listen to the Titan’s voice… I, and only I,” he said, looking at her, “know all. Now come, Luz, I have what you are looking for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared after him, her body reacted before she did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Step, step, step. Luz was following him at a steady pace, her mind still trying to figure out what was happening. Her body screamed ‘danger’ and begged her to run, but her head was fuzzy, mixed, and ordered her to stay… to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do know of you, Luz,” Belos said, “of your abilities… and their origins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped in a clear and turned to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know all about your magic… and the rest of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz clenched her jaw, closed her fists, and glared at him. “What happened to Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to Eda?” she repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos seemed to think about it, he studied her and Luz caught sight of blue light coming out of his mask’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She should be dead by now,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She should be dead. I threw quite a killing spell, but yet, I haven’t received the response I expected… she might survive if she was as cunning as the rumors say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared, he had tried to kill Eda… he had attacked her to kill her… he could’ve…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you care? She is just a wild beast at this point anyway,” Belos asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz blasted fire at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda crashed her head against the chains again. The blood ran down the spell chains and her face—if the wet feeling was anything to go by—the pain taking away the drowsiness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, you are just hurting yourself!” Lilith shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And while I’m here, that bastard is hurting Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda turned her head to Lilith. “Then why would he possibly need to restrain </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> if he wasn’t doing something bad to Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t respond to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to get out of here!” Eda said, glaring at her chains. “I have to save her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda hit the chains one more time, her strength leaving her right after it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I have to go with Luz…” she whispered, looking at the chains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That spell was complex, strange, and powerful. Not something anyone could do… heck, she wasn’t even sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>could build something like that! The spell was shifting, the chains were seemingly unbreakable and the shadows around her made her feel tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just what in the hell is this…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…It’s the ‘Black Prison’,” Lilith said, “one of Emperor Belos original spells.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes snapped open, and she turned to her sister again. Lilith was looking down at her hands. For the first time, Eda saw how worn out Lilith was, her eyes were hardly open, and she was shivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do ya mean with ‘original’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emperor Belos has the will of the Titan with him, he knows it all… including the right ways to fuse magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuse magic?! But that’s all that the coven system goes against!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith let out a small laugh. “Only he has the right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared, gaping. How dared that bastard to build an entire system on how mixing magic was wild and dangerous when he spent his time doing the same?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bastard is a hypocrite!” Eda screamed, “I’m going to break his stupid bones when I get out of this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t,” Lilith muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t get out of this, Edalyn.” Lilith raised her head, looking at her. “This spell is the ‘perfect prison’ he worked on, to capture the most powerful and daring witches.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who cares? I’m just going to break it! All magic has a weak spot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not this one,” Lilith said, and she let out a broken laugh. “He mixed illusion, bard, and plant magic with power glyphs for this… he makes the illusion change, making chains that go over vines to hold you, while the bard magic makes you feel more and more tired…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda glared at the spell, fighting the chains again, she concentrated and was able to feel the vine texture. At least Lilith knew what she was talking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor has the most powerful magic of all witches…” Lilith whispered. “We are… done for…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence after that, and Eda looked at her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was laying on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily?!” she shouted, but there was no response. “Come on Lily! You have to wake up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t, Eda was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as always.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda closed her eyes and bit her lip, keeping herself from crying and screaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Caring about people was hurting her so much lately. Why was she doing all that again? Why was she picking a fight she wasn’t sure she could win? Why in hell did she make all of the things she did lately?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated kids! But still talked about Luz with Morton with a peace she hadn’t felt in years!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated honest work! But she kept the stand for human curiosities up just because she liked to work with Luz—she had never told her that—around and seeing the kid smile when their sales were good, and then talk while buying groceries on their way back home!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated Hexside! And yet, for the love of Titan! Eda had enrolled Luz, fixed all the things that made her proud when she was a kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was wrong with her? She was Edalyn Clawthorne!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda shook her head, and screamed, the sound pierced her ears, and Titan it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt!</span>
  </em>
  <span> But she couldn’t stop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then something fell from her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked down, finding a small, folded paper sheet. She took it up slowly; her hands were already shaking, her eyelids heavy and her mind becoming blurrier and blurrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Eda the ‘Owl Lady’, her apprentice Luz the ‘Wandering Witch’ and King ‘The King of Demons’!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s drawing, but it was… different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda passed a hand over the paper. She felt the difference in it, new traces, and new colors on it. She stared at it for maybe a minute, or maybe an hour. But she felt her mind wonder, going back to all those stupid moments in the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda waking up to find Luz in the living room looking at her magic books, the two of them cooking until King got to the kitchen asking for food, the walks to the stand, her work making potions while Luz practiced her runes in a chair close to her cauldron, they talking nonsense about human things and discussing over the stupidest of things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t believe how her life now had all to do with Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doing house chores in the morning together, working on the stand on the afternoons with any weird adventure they could find, and cooking something together on the night just to go to the living room to read until none of them could stay up any longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t want to lose that… she didn’t want to lose her family again!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Family…?” Eda whispered, “Luz is… my…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a roar in the back of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Owl Beast’ appeared in front of her. And she snapped awake, her magic going more and more powerful inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bastard…” Eda growled, standing slowly, the chains kept pulling her down. “That un-happy little piece of a half-man… is not… taking… </span>
  <em>
    <span>my family!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda moved her hand and Owlbert materialized there, she spun her staff making three spells. Belos wanted to play the great witch?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two could play that game!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped her staff and glared at the three spell circles, raising her free hand. She blasted the first spell, making a wave of fire tongues that covered the chains, she blasted the second one, a series of light blades cut through the darkness, and at last, she activated the third spell, a huge mass of pure light shone over the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t stop me!” Eda screamed, closing her eyes. “And you aren’t. Taking. Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a movement, and then a shattering sound. Eda closed her eyes and waited until the pressure from the chains was gone. When she opened them again, she found herself standing in the middle of a cove. Lilith was unconscious on the ground next to her with the water covering half her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bastard moved us…” Eda whispered, moving closer to Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her sister out of the water and walked out of the damn place. She recognized too little of her surroundings, but the smell told her she was away from the coast, so Eda guessed they were land-in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos couldn’t have taken Luz far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at Lilith, the unconscious body of her sister should be fine in the small cave she had found the cove. She would love to take her or wake her at the very least. But time was not on her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait for me, Kiddo,” Eda whispered, getting on Owlbert. “I’m coming for ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not telling me anything, are you?” Luz asks at the end of fifteen minutes of silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had counted the seconds after attacking him. They had run, Belos disappearing into thin air every time Luz tried to burn him, freeze him or just trap him, all that while they moved, getting into the woods, Luz had finally given up in trying to hurt the witch and was now walking after him… again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed, stopping in </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> small clear. Luz was really surprised by the quantity of those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready to listen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you let me go if I said no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Certainly not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I guess I’m ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed amused enough with that answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haven’t you ever considered, asked yourself? Why can you do what you do?” Belos asked, “Why is it that you can do magic so powerful? Why can you manage to bring real power into your will?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you know about it?!” Luz screamed while blasting a new wave of fire against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos banished it with a move of his head. “Oh, but I do know more than you think, little witch. Or should I say? Half-a-witch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz froze in her place; her hand still extended in the direction of the man, his mask was perfectly covering his face, but somehow Luz knew, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know?” She asked, her voice trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the emperor; I listen to the Titan’s will, so, why wouldn’t I know?” He asked back, “I’m wise enough to provide the answers you seek, Lucelyn Clawthorne… or, should I perhaps call you, Luz Noceda? I think we covered all of this with my presentation earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was official, Luz had never been so scared in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blasted a new wave of fire, getting a bit of a distance she started to run, the woods should give her enough advantage. She used her plants’ glyph to get the trees to cover after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to run, she needed to escape…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Running is useless against me, child…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos’ voice came like a whisper but Luz heard it like a shout. She was about to jump over a fallen tree when a hand shot through the ground, holding her in the middle of the air. Luz fought against the thing, but her force was being… taken away from her?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My child, you shouldn’t be fighting me, I just want to help you,” Belos said, materializing in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at him. “You tried to take Eda down, now I’ll do the same to you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz raised her left hand, the fire glyph lit up right away and the torrent of flames got out immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough games,” Belos said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt how something covered her arm and </span>
  <em>
    <span>twisted</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her scream must have been really horrible, but she couldn’t hear it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her arm, the bracelet had stopped shining, her hand was the wrong way and there was blood coming from her elbow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was careful not to damage the bone, so it’ll heal fast enough,” he said, “I can’t have you out of the sight so long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at him, swallowing the pain. “W…W-What’s your problem?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Problem?” Belos repeated, walking up to her, the ground making a staircase for him until he was eye to eye with Luz. “I don’t have a problem… more like a… situation, if you will, and you are helping me fix it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I prefer to… die than... helping you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why such an extreme?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you hurt… Eda…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos got a hand to his—Luz supposed he had it there—chin. “Ah, the ‘Owl Lady’… yes, she has the effect of getting under the skin of pretty important people, if you may say it like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz greeted her teeth, she wouldn’t have another chance to prepare, she needed to concentrate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really disappointed in her choice to not join my Coven, really, she haves such a… power that could help the isles…” He then sighed and shook his head. “Is so sad she decided to embrace her wild ways.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you know about… her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was… surprised?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…? I know more than anyone the risks of wild magic, that’s why the Titan asked me to give the witch folk a way of doing magic right, to be what they are meant to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some sheep under your control?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Being the ruler is a duty that I’ve come to charge with…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah. Luz knew all that talk, the martyr that did everything for the people when the only thing they cared about was the power, the control. She glared at Belos, her magic slowly, painfully, and unevenly got to her bracelet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just a little more…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…And is a weight that would be on </span>
  <em>
    <span>your shoulders </span>
  </em>
  <span>someday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stopped charging magic to her arm and her eyes went wide, looking directly into Belos’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man let out a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really never thought about it?” He asked, moving around her. “How can you use such powerful magic? How you don’t run out of power? Please, you must have suspected </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> when all those creatures ran away from you minutes ago, just as they did with me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They ran from me…?” Luz repeated, her mind getting numb. “How would you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, I think I already explained that part… I-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Know all…” Luz finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Good, you are learning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… all this time, you’ve been looking at me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos got his hand on her face, cupping her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But of course, since the moment Lilith informed me about you after the Covention, I’ve been praying to the titan for your safety.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was already guessing the answer, she was terrified of it. She stared at the eyes of the man, the perfect blue more threatening than ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you, Luz. You were born in an era of chaos, an era when the entire world is being held together just by me and my Coven and the Titan’s power. You came back from beyond the barriers of our realm… all to face your destiny!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My… destiny…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos left go of her, his hand was soon holding a staff that Luz could swear had metal and wires on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, Luz Noceda, the half-human,” Belos said, “are my daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stopped breathing at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… no…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were given a gift! The power to use the isles magic!” Belos continued, “I was bestowed with the duty of sharing the isles will, but you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>have the isles magic! More than using your magic, or the isles magic, you fuse them, you turn the isles magic into your own!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s mind rushed back to her memories of using magic. She always felt so drained while on earth. But coming to the isles and feeling so strong, stronger than ever…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you already remember. How the isles blessed you, how they shared their power with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head. “What ‘bout it? That’s not proof of anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh dear,” Belos said, holding her face again. “It’s proof of </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos then moved his staff, changing the entire layout; Luz wasn’t in the forest anymore, but in a palace. The place was golden and white, with black carpets and plants at just the right distance between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is your future… your destiny,” Belos voice came from nowhere and everywhere. “The palace… the glory of being the new herald of the Titan’s will. You were born special; your destiny already chose you before you even set a foot on the isles…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I… was born special?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind was getting dizzy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are destined to serve a great purpose, greater than yourself, greater than even me.” Belos voice echoed in her head. “Follow, your path…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My… path…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, her eyelids were getting too heavy.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“That’s why you have to choose yourself.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Eda?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, the flash in her mind of the woman with the falling sun and stars shining behind her…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Her name is Lucelyn Clawthorne, and she is my kid, Lily.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Covention after the incident flashed in her head, Eda’s arms were… so, so warm…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You´ll never let me live that down, will ya?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving the owl house without knowing if she could make friends with Amity, without knowing if her parents even were on the register in the library, when she didn’t know if she could find the truth…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I’m happy you are here kiddo.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Ya are my responsibility.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“We’ll find the answers together.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I’m here for you Luz, if you need me.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes snapped open and she groaned, pushing away the dizziness with her will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not falling for your tricks!” she screamed and the whole image shattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fell to her knees, looking around. She was back in the woods, the hand that held her before gone and the tree that had kept her arm in the wrong angle was back to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Belos was still in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most impressive,” he said, “you freed yourself, just what I would expect from my daughter…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz raised her head, standing slowly she never stopped glaring at the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care what you say… I don’t care if the blood in my veins is the same as yours; I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>your daughter!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos scoffed. “How can you deny what you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care what I am!” Luz shouted. “The only thing that matters is </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> I am!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And who are you, then?!” Belos screamed at her. “Are you Luz, the human? Or Lucelyn the witch? Which one are you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at the furious man, and that seemed to be all she had to do. That was all she needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, Lucelyn Clawthorne, apprentice and daughter of Edalyn Clawthorne, and I’m also Luz Noceda, daughter of Camila Noceda, a half-human, half-witch!” Luz said raising her arm, forcing her magic through the bracelet, the pain shot through her right away. “And I’ll never! Join you…! Now eat this suckka!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s fire glyph shined stronger than ever, the blast wasn’t a ball, nor a single ray. Not even the owl. No, she made an </span>
  <em>
    <span>incinerator.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos blocked her attack with his staff. “This is useless, your resistance only brings you pain! Accept your destiny, come with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pushed more power through her glyphs, the bracelet shined stronger and the flames got wilder, bigger, and brighter, the heat starting to burn away the grass and flowers. Luz kept pushing, feeling like something entered her body, and then went the way she wanted to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never stop fighting you!” Luz screamed, and her eyes started to </span>
  <em>
    <span>burn. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Newsflash old man, I’m making my own </span>
  <em>
    <span>destiny!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and opened them. Her Bracelet shook and she caught by the rear of her eye how the light glyph illuminated too, the flames changed with that. The orange almost red torrent of fire transformed into a yellow-orange mass of energy that pushed like a laser through all in its way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Belos being pushed back, and she also saw how his barrier cracked.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can do this!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’ve grown tired of these games.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos voice came from behind her. And before Luz could react something </span>
  <em>
    <span>smashed </span>
  </em>
  <span>her left arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe now you’ll be willing to listen to me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was screaming, her throat hurt enough for it to go numb, her voice must have cracked, it most certainly did, but she couldn’t hear it. She couldn’t focus on anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just on the pain and on the blood…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Small child… I’m sorry you have to suffer like this,” Belos said, his voice devoid of any emotion. “But you wouldn’t listen to me by the proper ways… it’s sad to have to destroy your handy work, it was a good start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes were glued to her arm. Where before was her bracelet; now was a dark purple limb full of cuts and shards of metal. A part of it was twisted downwards, her bone broken and a bit of it was exposed out of the flesh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bone will take some time to heal, sadly, but I’m sure we can make use of the time out of the public eye,” Belos continued, “would you like me to numb your pain?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz wanted to beg him to make it stop. But she bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was not giving him the pleasure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess you don’t.” The man sighed. “Then, we must depart for the palace… after all, you need to be educated properly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned closer to her, and even with his mask in the middle, Luz knew he was smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> without me,” he whispered, “never, ever forget that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get your gross hands off my kid!” Another voice came, and there was a small explosion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s vision was a blur, but she could make out that silver hair and orange magic everywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“E…Eda…” she managed to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she fainted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are surprisingly cunning, aren’t you, ‘Owl Lady’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda growled at him. Her body tense and magic already casted, she glanced back at Luz, the kid was unconscious but she looked fine enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to ignore her left arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I must thank you for taking care of Luz while I couldn’t,” Belos said, “you’ve proven to be a great teacher, I must say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your praise is rubbish!” Eda said. “Save it and scram, would ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed at her. “Oh, but is not only my praise what I offer you. I’ve heard of your… condition, from your sister, a pretty nasty curse, if I recall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tensed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You turn into a beast, without any control over yourself, and worst, each time you become weaker, magic slipping between your fingers…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t have anything to do with Luz, you, me, or this moment!” She blasted a lightning bolt against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos blocked it with his staff. “You are right, but what if I told you I can fix it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In exchange for joining your Coven? No thanks,” Eda said, attacking again, the result was the same. “You don’t care about me, or my curse, you just want to catch me so your precious system is not threatened!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed again. “You are indeed more cunning than your sister,” he said, “is true, I don’t care about you, or your curse… but today, I have another deal for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos nodded. “Give me my daughter, give Luz back to me, and I’ll take your curse away. I’ll give you the way to take it, and the material; you’ll be free… in exchange for a single girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped there, and looked back at Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was Belos…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, that was impossible! Eda looked back down to the kid, Luz was grimacing in her sleep, and her arm…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t look at it, she wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you say?” Belos asked, making her look at him. “Will you take my offer, Edalyn Clawthorne?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A month and a half ago she would’ve, not caring about anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a flash of Luz smiling at her, remembered the kid waiting for her on the stand on weekends, or waiting for her to have breakfast together before going out. The jokes, the fights…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she said, raising her staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said no, you weirdo!” Eda shouted, “I won’t give you Luz, not now, not ever!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos stared at her before he started to shake his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I expected you to be wiser, ‘Owl Lady’,” Belos said, raising his own staff. “But I guess I’ve... overestimate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are about to see who is overestimating who, idiot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda jumped ahead, letting her magic push her to the front. She smashed herself against Belos barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll never have Luz!” Eda screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will take her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words were cut short.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was pushed away by a mysterious wave of power. She looked at Belos, but he was coughing, almost falling to his knees. He got his free hand to his mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No!” he said, “Is happening too fast… too fast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw him stand straight and throw a death glare at her. She returned it with the same level of rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You win… for now, ‘Owl Lady’,” Belos said, starting to banish, “but remember… I’ll come for her… she is </span>
  <em>
    <span>my daughter</span>
  </em>
  <span> after all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care what you think, but the kid is </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Eda said, “so back of, or so Titan helps me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos and Eda maintained the battle of wills with their eyes until he was completely gone. The maximum threat was already out of the board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t relax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning and running to Luz, Eda kneeled, she checked her, and almost cried when seeing her left arm, the shards of her bracelet, some were on the floor and others were buried in the flesh of her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Resist Kiddo, I…I’m going to do something I… I just need to take out the shards of metal and then. Then I need to place a spell…” Eda was shivering too much, she couldn’t… she couldn’t do it alone!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got Owlbert and mounted, carrying Luz in a bridal style with her bad arm in her chest. Eda made Owlbert take off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only a place where she could go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please resist Kiddo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had been to the house, granted, the first time she was a teen and it wasn’t in the best circumstances—neither were those—but she knew at least enough to place her hopes on that move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?” Good, Aaron was the one who opened up. “What are you-? Oh my Titan, Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaron, I know you have questions and I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> you won’t like the answers I have, but now, I need ya to help my kid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that her voice? When did she become so </span>
  <em>
    <span>desperate</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron stared at her, nodding slowly. He moved aside and left her in, pointing for the small guest room at the end of the corridor. Eda rushed there, opening with all the care she could get out of her trembling hands, the room was neat, smaller than Luz’s room but a lot more organized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it had a bed, thing Eda hadn’t taken the time to get for Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Aaron asked entering the room with an apron and a box of what Eda assumed were first aids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were attacked, the bastard smashed her arm with a boulder,” Eda explained, “I…I studied the wound and it seemed like…like…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron scooted closer and held Eda by the shoulder, making her look. “Like what Edalyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like… Like he broke it beforehand,” she finally let out, “he twisted without touching the bone but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it,” Aaron said, stopping her, “I know is difficult, but I won’t be able to help her if I don’t know what I’m treating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always were one of the best healers around…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, I’m not a healer, my magic is sealed Edalyn and you know it,” he pointed out, “Why didn’t you go to the real healers?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda bit her lip. “’Cause the man who attacked us has all healers in this isle under his thumb,” Eda said, shaking her head. “Aaron. You are the only one in the isles that won’t rat me out, I need your help, I’ll make the magic, but I can’t cast any spell while the metal is in her arm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Metal?” he asked, turning towards Luz’s maimed limb. “What-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had seen it, how the ragged skin was being performed by the metal shards, the bleeding had stained her clothes, and the movement may have made it worse if she wasn’t careful… She was careful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>careful!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda greeted her teeth, looking away. “The bastard destroyed her bracelet… while she was using it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron didn’t say anything, but the look he sent her was enough to make Eda shiver. He moved closer to the wound, starting to clean it, Luz moved in her sleep, letting soft growls of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is horrible…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaron?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda turned with a spell ready to attack, her rage dying when she caught sight of Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?” Marcus asked, looking into the room. “What’s happening here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry Marcus, but I need your husband,” Eda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What- what in Titan’s name happened Edalyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have the strength to say it again. So she moved aside, and the horror in Marcus’ face was enough for Eda to feel worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” He gasped, both hands covering his mouth. “How did this happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were attacked, Edalyn already explained,” Aaron replied. “Her arm is bad, Marcus, I need all the medicinal herbs we have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are not enough for wounds like that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then go get Willow and have her grow more!” Aaron screamed, glaring at his husband. “This is her best friend, she will gladly do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at the couple, she had seen them fight—granted, those were their teenage times—but…but never had she seen them like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marcus nodded and left the room running. Eda moved closer to where Aaron had started to take the metal out of Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt like throwing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scavenged corpses of nastier and bigger things for</span>
  <em>
    <span> fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She had seen blood, she had shed her own more than once… So why?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why couldn’t she bear the sight of Luz’s blood?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, I need you to heal her along with me taking the metal out, I’m gonna have to fix the bone while we are at it,” Aaron said, snapping her back to reality, “this is bad, if we are not careful…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda growled and started the spell. “Tell me, Aaron, I can take it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz could lose the arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, that was a lie, she couldn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shake that overcame her almost made her stop the healing spell, but she held it. Her eyes on Luz’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> let the emperor get what he wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was her kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stay with me kiddo… I’m going to fix ya…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, concentrating on the spell once again. “Well then we have work to do, don’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was floating, and yet, she felt so heavy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, she was missing something, something important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind stayed wondering for a long time, or maybe it was short, she wasn’t sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes slowly, the ceiling over her head was familiar, but not her room. The bed was comfortable, but different…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where am I?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, trying to move. A shoot of pain kept her in place. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Demonios</span>
  </em>
  <span>… What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down, she was in her sleep clothes, and by the way it felt, there were bandages in her middle, her legs seemed fine and her right arm moved…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her left arm…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw with dread the place where her limb should’ve been. It was still attached to her, but the whole thing was covered in a cast that went from her fingertips to a third over her elbow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t feel any of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” she whispered, getting a hand to cover her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flashes came to her mind almost like bolts of lightning. The forest, Lilith, the shadows, the demonic creatures, the cold… Belos…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had done that to her… he destroyed her bracelet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt weak all of sudden. Her stomach twisted and she jolted to the side, throwing up on the floor. Her entire body shivering, she almost fell from the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t make out the person, but she felt a pair of hands holding her steady and raising her until she was seated. Then said hand went over her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N…No…” why was it so hard to </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk? </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I…I just… puked….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Kiddo, and that’s why you’re letting me do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That voice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“E…Eda…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who else would I be?” the woman said, Luz felt a piece of cloth in her face. “You’ve been out cold for two days, I was beginning to worry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Two…days…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes finally began to work as they should. She caught an… unexpected sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was worn out, her hair messier than usual, her eyes had bags under them and even her gem was a little dark. Her face was thinner than before and her dress had stains of a darker shade of red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A…Are you... OK?” Luz managed to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The surprise on Eda’s face was enough of an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t ya sweet?” Eda asked back, “You went and fell for two days and the first thing you ask is if </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz cocked her head to the side. “You… are…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled, when finished cleaning her face. The woman closed the distance, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hugging her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I am Kiddo… now I am…” Eda whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz broke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the emotions she hadn’t faced until then, the fear, angst, sadness… the </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>All came crashing down and Luz cried. Her throat was sore and her lungs stung her horribly. But she couldn’t stop. She gripped Eda’s dress with her good hand and cried a river on her shoulder. Eda didn’t move, she just stayed there, holding her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would ya look at that?” Eda muttered when Luz’s cries died, she was about to fall asleep again, “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>a kid after all, just see how you cry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda…” Luz muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha…What are we going to do…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s grip on her became stiff, harder somehow, and Luz looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Luz…” She sighed. “But I’m not letting that idiot take you, you are my kid, not his.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded. “But… but what if he is right and I’m-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen here, ya.” Eda cut her off. “Even if somehow he wasn’t lying, that changes nothing! He left you, and now he wants you? I’m not letting him place his hands on you, not after what he had done to ya…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda then pulled her away and made her lay down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are Lucelyn Clawthorne, and you are Luz Noceda, the half-a-witch looking for her family,” Eda said, smiling, “you ain’t nothing of that bastard, got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her. The fight with Belos came to her mind, shaking her to the core.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I don’t care what I am, the only thing that matters is who I am!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha…” Luz said. “Thanks, mom…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at her, patting her head. “Your welcome kiddo… now get some sleep, will ya? I don’t want Aaron yelling my ears off ‘cause I kept ya awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and watched Eda go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Closing her eyes the image of Belos and his power flashed her memory. Also the blurry scene of her arm and her destroyed bracelet. She shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now, she needed sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>END OF PART ONE</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>THANKS FOR READING!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>
      
    </strong>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there you have it, folks!<br/>I know, I know, it's like another cliffhanger, but please, it's a good end for part one, just like most of the ending seasons 1 of many shows like to go. (Gravity, Falls, Amphibia, even The Owl House but with Eda's curse deal) Anyway! Yep, all of you saying that Luz was Belos' relative, how was that for foreshadowing? I know many saw it coming... but is it true~~~? Nah, really, I was placing my things here and there and I know many of you if not all of you saw it coming since chapter 8 (The library one) so yep, you guessed rightfully, I really want to know if my foreshadowing was on spot, please tell me in the comments!<br/>Anyway, do not think this is the end, we still have a long way to go, but it'll be next year's issue! My story is still going, same with Lucelyn's and her friends!<br/>Now, a little query!<br/>you'd like<br/>1.- A Small extra of this story taking into the reaction of Amity, Willow, and Gus to this ending?<br/>2.- Extra with little bits of chapters to come? (No context, just little scenes)<br/>3.- A one-shot about Lilith! Eda! Aaron and Marcus in their school years! (I'm doing this anyway, but I want to know if you'd read it)</p><p>That's it, please let me know in the comments what you'd like!</p><p>I hope all of you were careful while reading, I know, Belos is a monster, we all knew it, but still, please tell me you all were prepared for the violence, what Eda did and what the monster Belos is did to Luz, please tell me you were careful because I'll never forgive myself if someone suffered because of this story.</p><p>Now, what it's due after my little... em, that up there.<br/>Thanks for reading to all of you! Your support for this work means the world to me and keeps me going! I'm just so happy you liked what I wrote, and I hope you'll be ready for what's coming in January!<br/>Ciddadell! Pal, Buddy, Friend! this is specially directed towards ya since you've been here from the very beginning and your fan-art was the inspiration for the last little surprise, you rock! And I hope you'd like what's coming!</p><p>I don't have anything else to say except, happy holidays! And a happy new year for all of you! Let's wait for 2021 to be better than this year!</p><p>G_U out~ Peace and love for you all!<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Of repercutions and Suffering</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Extra: Aditional insight on the last chapter. Willow's, Gus', and Amity's reactions to Luz being hurt.<br/>Take in account, this is something made with a lot of how I think they'd react and how I would react (also some of my buddies after I discussed possible scenarios with 'em)<br/>Be careful, some parts are a bit descriptive on Luz's injury and others are just a bit of angst. </p><p>Also, hey! I'm happy to be back! Sorta, Happy new year! I hope all of you got a great vacation, or at least some good times. We are in 2021 now!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again!<br/>HAPPY NEW YEAR! IN YOUR FACE 2020 I'M STILL HERE!</p><p>A lot of stuff happened, I doubt you want to know, so I'll keep the details to myself.<br/>So, there is a lot I wanna talk to ya about my beloved readers, but that would mean spoilers, so I'll just have to hold myself on that.<br/>I've been thinking on something for this second part that I'll be coommentin at the end of this little addition, so please, read the notes at the end if you care, want, or are simply bored.<br/>Now, clarifications!</p><p>This chapter wasn't part of the story to begin with, but the 3 votes (I loved you 3, you know who you are) made me do this because I really appreciate you guys wanting to be a bit more inside the story.<br/>So, what you are about to read is not necessary for next chapters, but it'll help tp build up your image on some actions a little early on, so, you do you, and read if you want.</p><p>more notes at the e~n~d~</p><p>no more to say, so... Disclaimer I call ya!: The Owl House does not belong to me, nor do the characters, this story is completely written with the point of entertaining whoever wants to read it.</p><p>Enjoy! Or not, I don't control that.<br/>(Yes, I'm on 6 cups of coffee, if you wondered)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h2>
  <b>Of repercussions and suffering</b>
</h2><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Pain is a gift that allows us to understand how we hurt others</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>but the pain we feel others can be punishment, as well as rewards</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>You’ll never feel pain for someone who means nothing to you.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow could say it was a nightmare, and she would feel better with herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waking up to her dad scream for her to make medical plants grow with the most frantic expression she had ever seen had been the first sign of danger. The second one was seeing Eda’s staff in the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she had seen inside the guest’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow would lie, she puked at the sight of Luz’s arm and she had felt like something was ripped from inside her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her best friend was on the verge of dying…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took her all night to calm down, she didn’t relax though. She saw Eda and her dad walk in and out of the room where Luz was resting all night, and she heard Luz crying, </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her sleep for the person who had done that to her to stop, to leave her alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that broke her all over again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was the bravest, kindest, and the most vibrant person she had met. And someone had broken her, shattered her to pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow entered the room after a particularly bad attack, Eda was being scolded by her parents in the kitchen, and she couldn’t bear the image of it while Luz was still fighting for her life… while Luz could lose her arm altogether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Hey…” Willow whispered and sat next to her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two long pieces of metal were holding luz’s arm her dad had taken from his vet equipment, the skin was red, and the few bandages she had on the worst parts of the wound were already a crimson red. Luz was breathing hard and sweating a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow bit her lip and held back the tears. “Why do you always end up in trouble?” she whispered. “Is it because of Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow had heard her parents shout to Eda that that was all her fault, that she wasn’t capacitated to raise a kid. Willow never believed it, she had seen how Eda cared about Luz that very same day, she had seen them together, and she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>understood </span>
  </em>
  <span>that the connection between both of them was stronger than just a convenience pact or friendship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But…but what if her parents were right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would Luz still be Ok if Willow had insisted on her staying with her family and not in the ‘Owl House’? Would Luz not be in such a horrible state if she had met her before Eda did? If Willow had just tried to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>else, just a bit more for her, would Luz still suffer so horribly?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please…Please be safe, Luz…” she whispered and finally left the tears to win over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus didn’t process it at first, his mind not getting a grip on the words Willow had told him that Monday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What…?” he had asked, maybe five, six times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Willow looked at him with those condescending, swollen, red, and tired eyes before repeating that sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is badly hurt, her bracelet is destroyed and…and she could her left arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t cried, not at the beginning, but as the days passed, and he didn’t hear from his friend, not from his scroll, and nothing from Willow, the lump on his chest grew hotter and stronger, making breathing hard, concentrating even worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he then decided to visit the Park’s house, and saw the damage from himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had been unconscious, thin, and pale when he saw her, the cast on her left arm was just placed and he could smell the blood from the bandages that they had removed not long before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed the distance and looked at his friend. “Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t cried, but he couldn’t talk more than that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood there, incapable of moving from his position on his own. He didn’t remember much of the time he stood next to Luz, and Willow didn’t tell him anything about it even when she assures him she was next to him all the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was sure he hadn’t cried, she told him so, but then again, Willow knew he hated to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the wet trails on his cheeks and the sore throat her had after seeing his friend… after seeing Luz so hurt… so </span>
  <em>
    <span>broken.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>…He though cried, but he would never be sure. He will always be sure about one thing, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain in his chest was far more real than anything else he had experienced in a long while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was having a bad day, like, horribly bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sibling had decided to have a little fun and left the kitchen like a war zone, so she hadn’t had breakfast and her lunch wouldn’t be prepared that time, so she’ll be forced to eat in the cafeteria with Boscha and the rest of the Banshees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, not really a good day ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is going to kill me…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, shoving her books in her locker and checking her pockets for money.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I go today as well?” she heard a voice and then looked to her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Augustus and Willow, none of them had that… light, she had seen lately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Willow replied and massaged her nose bridge. “My dads are really stressed since her fever won’t go down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fever? Are they taking care of an animal?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the bomb dropped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How comes her fever hasn’t come down?! Eda was doing all she could, wasn’t she?!” Augustus asked desperately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Willow bit her lip before responding. “She is! But…But Luz’s wounds are too severe… we…we don’t know what will happen with her anymore, she hasn’t wok up since she talked to Eda! And…And I don’t know what to do…” she finished, sobbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity hadn’t felt the coins slip from her hand, nor the pain when her nails dug themselves on her palms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t felt anything, at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just numbness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to ask Willow what had happened, she wanted to rush to them hold both witches by the shoulders, shaking them until they explained what was wrong with Luz, what had happened! If…If she was OK?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t do any of those things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just… ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity ran with all her strengths and left Hexside, breathing was hard, the thinking was hard; the feeling was worse than those two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She entered the library in a rush and didn’t stop when the librarian called her out. She just sprinted through the sections until she reached the entrance of her hideout, she opened the door and shut herself in, leaning against the entrance and breathing hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is not true, not true…” she whispered and got her hands to her face, pressing hard to avoid the burning sting from her eyes to turn into tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was she so desperate?! That was just Lucelyn! Just Luz!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity slid until she was sitting on the ground and fought the growing desperation in her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just what the hell was wrong with her?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz and she weren’t even close! they had fought, the stupid witch had even tried to kill her!—by mistake—And she was there? Worrying sick about her being hurt? Without proof? Without anything but Willow’s words?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Why am I doing this…?” she whispered and hugged her legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know how long she stayed there, nor did she care. Something inside didn’t let her think about anything that wasn’t Willow’s words. The simple idea of Luz being hurt, of her not waking, of her…her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suffering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made her sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t take it anymore at one point, she just… couldn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mustering all the courage she could, she summoned scroll and went through her contacts stopping over the only name she could think of at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Luz—Lucelyn—Clawthorne</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I-I need to know…” she whispered and typed the simple question, the simple matter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she sent it, praying o Titan for Luz to be OK.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yep, a lot of chicken hearts (That's...That's just something my mom says) here for our baby Luz.<br/>And I know, I know, too short, I thought of making it longer, but then the whole thing would become a principal part of part two instead of an extra, and I can't do that.</p><p>It's a lie, I could, but my brain does not work right now.</p><p>So! I'll give ya all the good news! This story is almost complete! Yeah, I still have a crazy lot of editing to do, but besides that? The story is mostly completely written! <br/>Yay! Stability almost assured on updates!<br/>I don't promise anything because the universe kinda hates that.<br/>Now, what else? What else? I'll give it to ya in numbers.</p><p>1.- I have song's I looked out, researched, discussed with my buddy who just happened to hear me rant while I was out of it talking to them about the fic (they don't watch the show, but the did hear me and helped me chose, I love 'em) for each chapter, some of them have two songs I'll share on the notes for the key moments so you can feel what I felt when writing it down.<br/>2.- We have an E-X-T-E-N-S-I-O-N on the material since I wrote a lot on some chapters, so our original count goes from 20 chapters to the magnificent numbers of...<br/>24 chapters! you get a chapter, you get a chapter and you get a chapter!!!!!!<br/>Now, things not so big but I still have to mention 'em.<br/>3.- Lots of Lumity.<br/>4.- teen drama! with magic<br/>5.- More Willow! and Willow with a dark side~ :3<br/>6.- Insights and implications of support characters!<br/>7.- Bonding~! (I won't tell whose)<br/>8.- My snarky comments! Wait, uh- forget that.<br/>9.- Gus being Gus and cool Gus!<br/>10.- No more Mattholomeu!!!!!!!!!!</p><p>Yeah, that summons up the things about the story, now, the thing about your host, the unpractical me!</p><p>Same as before, I'll answer questions that don't lead to spoilers, I'll try to post little wips of the story on my Twitter every week a week before it comes out, so... yeah, if you don't use it, that's OK, I get social media is... complicated.<br/>I'll be doing many one-shots, taking writing requests and challenges since I gotta go back to work and need something to keep my creative mind going, you can tell me about other fandoms or series you love so I can get inspiration, or I can write about those.<br/>I highly doubt people want to read my stuff to do this, but hey! Is a new year, I don't need my dignity when this flops.<br/>Also, I'm posting this fic by the same name on fanfiction dot net, but there I... well, not going so well, so I'm happy yo have you guys, gals, ppl, in general, to read me here!</p><p>I'll be giving greetings to the people next chapter too, if you are interested, I love ya all, and I'm so happy to write for you once again!</p><p>I literally ran out of things to say so... love ya again and I'll see ya next week with the actual chapter! Stay safe, do witchcraft, love yourselves (if you can, please, at least try a bit?) and I'll be reading ya.</p><p>G_U out! Peace~ <br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Sensitive Witch, Insensitive Master, and Oblivious Demon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After recovering, Luz needs to deal with three facts:<br/>She is not strong anymore.<br/>She has lost something important after that fight.<br/>King is a jerk- wait, what?<br/>Meanwhile, Eda needs to learn how to deal with a kid that needs her, Lilith is being pushed down by Kikimora and Emperor Belos, and Amity is faced with a reality she didn't think existed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heyo!<br/>This day has been a mess, and I mean most of it, but I finally had the chance to post!<br/>Now, even when I say that, the Beta reader and I had some difficulties when sharing the chapter, so I'm posting the version without revision, so.... this is subject to change in the future, once it gets beta-ed I'll update it, until then, sorry for sharing with ya something without refining, but I proposed myself a deadline, and I'll stand on it! Or behind it, whatever (I fixed it already! yei!).<br/>This chapter is the official start for part two of "Diary Of A Lost Witch!" Yey! Now, I did promise a lot of stuff when I took my rest during the holidays, and now you have it!<br/>First things first, nothing but the story you are about to read belongs to me, the characters and setting are all property of Dana terrane and Disney. following that.<br/>Now we have music~~~~<br/>Well, more like, the option, even if I say so myself.</p><p>For the first scene of the whole chapter, we have the soundtrack: "The Bones" from Maren Morris and Hozier! </p><p>And for the second part, not necessarily immediate, we have: "Every part of me" From Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana the series!</p><p>Now, what you need to know is that the lyrics of these songs have the energy I had when writing, so, even when the lyrics are not related to the fic, what the song expresses affected the writing.</p><p>So... feel free to listen to them, feel free to not to, is your call. Anyway, I talked for too much and I'll keep it up at the end, so... see ya at the bottom!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Time heals all wounds. Give time to time.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had nightmares regularly, but not that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She usually found herself in the forest, immobilized by tree branches and shadows. She could feel her left arm, just so then she would face the pain, the horrible pain that crushed her to the point she just wanted to tear the limb off with her teeth if necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not that night, and that was a win in her book. She was taking Morton’s potion more than not, even when Eda didn’t recommend her to use it regularly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she could sleep without nightmares, she didn’t care much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” Eda asked, opening the door to her room. “You OK there, kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up from her book and smiled, nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda returned the gesture. “Great, hey, I need a bit of help with the stand, think ya can work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded again and closed the book while standing up. She flinched a little by the motion, but managed to hold herself up. A week and a half from their encounter with Belos had already passed, and Eda kept casting healing magic in her arm and ribs—which have been broken, three of them—every morning and every night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she still had to wear the cast, and was not capable of feeling her left arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready, Eda!” Luz said as cheerful as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t the same, and she knew that. She tried to live with it, even if it was hard… hellishly hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking down the stairs made her a little nauseous. Eda held her hand and helped her to get to the kitchen, the food smelled… familiar, somehow, she recognized some dishes, but if she was being honest? She couldn’t say anymore, even when it touched her tongue, Luz couldn’t feel any flavor from it, she tried to imagine what it used to taste like, but even her memories about that were blurry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, kiddo?” Eda asked once they left the house and were on the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ya try to fool me, what is it this time? Did ya forget to take your potion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed, if only it was that easy. “No, no… I was just remembering some… things, from the human realm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is just… I feel somehow, like how I felt when I was there lately…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda hummed in response, landing on the market street. Luz got off and took a look around; the place seemed… empty, somehow, at least for a weekday, there were barely fifty people in the area of the ‘Not-dog’ seller when it was usually a place full with hundreds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Kiddo, we have to get ready,” Eda said, walking to her tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming!” Luz replied, and walked towards the stand, feeling a buzz in her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her scroll out. With her bracelet gone, she had to keep the thing on her, she concentrated on the object, getting just enough magic for it to open and stay rigid in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was something else that had changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz hadn’t said anything to Eda or King. She looked at her immobilized limb with dread, the wound was much more than what she could see, or even </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Luz knew that much, the fight with Belos had left something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had taken her power away… a part of her was lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her magic had lost power, great amounts of it, she felt like she was back in the human realm, with just barely magical power to do anything. Her major spells were all out of the picture, no more giant ice pillars, just small amounts of snow or ice, no more trees or vines, just little flowers, and no more giant owl flaming spells, just embers, sparks.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Back to scraps of magic…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, looking at the scroll, her eyes opened a little more. “Amity?” She whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened the messaging app, looking at her chat with the teal haired girl. The page was immediately filled with the swarm of messages Luz had sent about the Azura’s book and Amity’s short responses and somewhat dull comments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were also messages where Amity asked her how she was, like the newest one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Amity—I act like I don’t care but I secretly do—Blight]: Hey, how are you?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and replied. Messaging Amity had become something usually at that point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Luz—Dork, messy idiot—Clawthorne]: I’m good! Thanks for asking! U?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had spent too much time in bed, even with magic on her side; she hadn’t been able to stand until three days had passed. Willow had cried over her and Gus actually had a breakdown, both of them never leaving her alone while she was recovering. Aaron and Marcus had kept her in the guests-room till the fourth day when Eda took her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had called her that night, just when Luz had woken up from a nightmare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She asked Luz how she was, she never, not even once, asked what had happened, just if she was alright and safe. Since then, Luz received a new message from the girl every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Amity—I act like I don’t care but I secretly do—Blight]: I’m OK.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Luz—Dork, messy idiot—Clawthorne]: Cool! Whatcha doing?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Amity—I act like I don’t care but secretly I do—Blight]: Homework, write correctly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Luz—Dork, messy idiot—Clawthorne]: Oh, Abomination stuff then. And nope! Not a grammar tyrant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> [Amity—I act like I don’t care but I secretly do—Blight]: Tyrant? What are you talking about?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Luz—Dork, messy idiot—Clawthorne]: Don’t mind it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence after that, and Luz sighed. Her conversations with Amity, while they were nice, they also were short and tended to end abruptly… just like that one, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Five minutes passed, and there was no response, Luz put her scroll away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King considered himself a wise demon, even when he went after his own tail for twenty minutes before falling asleep; he was pretty much over the average curve of intellect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he knew he wasn’t wrong about worrying over Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been around the teen long enough to know something was on. Like her sleeping becoming more and more like a task than a need, he also had noticed how she would often look at Eda doing magic with darker eyes and how she was now a little averse to being touched. It was small, but King noticed how Luz would flinch when people got too close, how she would look away for a moment before accepting the hug or the path on the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Little things, different things he noticed, and they worried him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it fur-ball?” Eda asked, “You are awfully quiet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” King said, “just thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, would ya look at that? You think!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let the jab slide. His mind went back to Luz and her arm, the bracelet was gone, and she hadn’t done magic ever since the fight. King had seen her using her scroll, but nothing else, no light spell in the nights to avoid nightmares, no more training with Eda—even if the broken arm would’ve been enough reason for that—and no more growing those weird human flowers that smelled awfully nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing, zero, </span>
  <em>
    <span>nada.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What happened…?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> King thought, before he felt something hitting him on the head. “Hey, what was that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was glaring at him. “I’m the one asking ya. What the hell is wrong with you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you don’t think! Not if it isn’t something important!” Eda stood in front of him and crossed her arms. “So spill!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King stared and groaned. “How is possible you don’t get it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, I’m worried about Luz,” King whispered, looking at the teen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was looking at the human junk with a blank stare, her whole body seemed to be moving without her knowledge, she had tripped with the air four times already!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is… different. Since her fight with the emperor she had been weird and…” King looked down. “And I don’t know what to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could brag, and lie, but he couldn’t do what he couldn’t do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Argh, why are you like this?” Eda asked while looking away, “I get it, OK? I get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t seem to, you just give her those potions and move on,” King practically spat those words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What else should I do, then?” Eda bit back at him. “This Luz, if she wanted to talk about it she would’ve already… or at least attempted to. But all she does is lock herself in her room and not talk to me unless I talk to her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King stared at Eda, and he finally took in the small details on her. Her makeup was a bit more than before around her eyes, how her hair was messier than usual, and how her hands were a bit stained with ink. She was tired, and worried, and scared, just like him, Hell! Maybe even more than him!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he said, “I guess I’m being dumb for not trusting you about your kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah you are,” she replied, scratching his chin. “Now, I gotta go get more of that potion, the kid is downing it faster than I thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s been drinking it for a week already. Are you sure she is not getting attached to it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and got her cape on. “I don’t know, but she needs to sleep at least, is when my healing magic works better… she could get her arm back and working before we even notice that way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…A needed evil then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Eda said, passing him a tray with what he assumed was food. “Try to get rid of those, would ya? I don’t want the smell close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll get my samples since I’m their ruler! The rightful overlord!” he shouted. “Intellectually and such.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja! Yeah, good luck with that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me this wouldn’t generate a dependency.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morton sighed and handed her a new flask. “It shouldn’t! Who would want to completely erase their dreams? Also, is just her second bottle, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A person that only has nightmares would.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, placing the snails on the counter. “Sorry Morton, is just… the kid is having problems.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She had them before, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, now they are worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry to hear it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you are not the only one.” Eda sighed. “Thanks, Morton, see you in a week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be here,” he replied, “hoping Lucelyn gets better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and me both…” Eda whispered, walking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned again and started her way back, a little lump of worry getting bigger and bigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was turning into an over-the-top guardian, ugh!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King was right about many things; Eda wasn’t blind or stupid, please. She knew the kid wasn’t the same, but again. Who would?! Luz just lost the use of one arm, faced a traumatic experience, and was almost taken away by a weird guy who probably wore slippers under his robe!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was surprised Luz spoke at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aaron had attacked Eda verbally for hours after they’ve finished Luz’s treatment, his words, while pretty mean and horrible, had grounded Eda. She couldn’t just wing her way out of things anymore. Who cared about the Park family thinking she was a bad mom? If what Luz had told her was true—and she suspected it was—Eda had to deal with a monster that thought breaking a kid’s limb was a form of education!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Punishment for a dick-head? Sure, education for a kid? Hell no!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” King shouted when he saw her land. “Nobody is paying attention to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at him and raised an eyebrow, King usually attracted at least some stupid teens who wanted to take pictures of him, but there wasn’t even a soul paying attention to his little ramblings and cute pouting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” she said, walking closer and looking at one of the demons. “Hey!” she held them by the cape and sniffed. “It reeks more of ‘nerd’ than money today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it has to do with that crowd over there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda turned and watched Luz coming closer, her little expression was at least a bit more relaxed than before. Eda looked in the direction the teen had just pointed and saw the flow of people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in-?” Eda muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take a look!” Luz said, jumping a little, “see ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t even open her mouth, Luz was already gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least that seems normal,” King commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… at least.” She sighed, getting the cape off and dropping in her chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had been put to test before, her mother’s impossible standards always made it hard to not be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this was different for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had never before been able to deal with someone around her getting hurt, even with all the stupid shenanigans her siblings had done in the past years, they had been OK. Nobody had ever needed her to be in charge of them, or to care much about the injury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, there was Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had heard—by chance—and she would have lied if she said the news didn’t send a horrible feeling down her spine and almost made her run to Willow’s house to check on the witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had been in the middle of hanging out with Boscha, and her disappearance would have reached her mother’s ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she stayed put, hearing Willow and Gus talk about Luz’s condition. She had kept her eyes open for any kind of news about the ‘Owl Lady’ being spotted doing something or about her daughter getting hurt, but there was nothing, it was like Luz’s injury had been just a rumor, a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had seen the wound. Luz had sent her a picture of the cast when she finally contacted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t dare to talk to her at Willow’s house, so she waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sent messages, pictures, she asked how Luz was… but…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What am I doing?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, leaving the scroll aside and turning back to her homework, two hours and she hadn’t been able to concentrate at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was Luz so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nudgy?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was on good terms with her, sure—that weird tension between them was </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> a hallucination—but to the point where Willow could accept it? To the point where Amity could accept it herself in public?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why must all be so… complicated?” She whispered, standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You make it unnecessarily complicated, sis!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity jumped and turned to find both her siblings on the door frame, Edric was charging with a tray with cakes while Emira had a stuffed bunny with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you two want?” Amity groaned, standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bold of you to suggest we are here in more than a brotherly nice behavior!” Emira said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edric looked at his twin. “Weren’t we about to bribe her to not tell mom about the library thing again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for being honest, Edric,” Amity said, “and I’ve already told you I’m not telling them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but we can’t be too careless…” Emira said, extending the bunny to her, “so here we are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and took the cakes from Edric, placing them on her dresser before going back to Emira, taking the bunny from her… and closing the door in their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mittens?!” the twins screamed together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay out of my room!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was excited, like, really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>excited!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting into a writing competition was amazing! She had done so, in the past, with the human world. Yet her fully fledged manuscript had never got to the contest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too much attention, Camila had said at that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So now, she was going to take all the chances she could, even with just half her speed to type. She now had the best thing ever, too. A writing partner! And the cutest one in the world—or two worlds—too! Luz ended preparing all the things in her room, she had a board and notes and all the things a writer would need.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the small furball who was her partner and her smile grew bigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King is going to be the best writer buddy in the universe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King was the worst writing parent in the universe!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her montage while planning, all of it was thrown into the garbage, literally! King just killed her main character, destroyed her plotline, and even went and made all her foreshadowing just nonsense!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid cute baby fur…” Luz muttered, entering a building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome! How may I-? Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up, finding Willow’s green eyes. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz walked up to her, the little section where Aaron had let her start doing her magic and fixing some of the vegetables Luz had never understood… or liked, to be fully honest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That thing that tasted like a pear, and looked like a lemon? Yeah, never again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got into an argument… not really,” she sighed, “I just got upset with King.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King? What did he do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just got into my writing dream and took over!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled at her. “And this is surprising because…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean by, ‘surprising’? That was mean!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and this is King we are talking ‘bout.” Willow took her hand and moved her to the pet area. “King is a demon, and he is not precisely nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, King is a demon, not a nice one, and he is childish, he probably doesn’t know how you feel right now, and he won’t get it unless you tell him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and looked away. “…That does make sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it does, I’m the one who thinks out of us two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! I came up with the idea to surprise your dads at breakfast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And almost burned down the house when I told you not to use the oven, and you still did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“….Fair enough, you are the brains, and I’m the brawls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can pin you down with one arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why am I in the team anyway then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Moral support and dazzle energy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and Willow hugged her, she flinched at her touch, but managed to return the gesture after a second. “I’ll take it. I gotta go back now and talk to King, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better if you rush.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, it’s been like one hour, what can he manage to pull off in that short time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Extra!” A kid screamed entering the store and rushing to the counter, he then left a book. “The new author King, newest bestseller, ‘Ruler’s Reach’ is here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz exchanged a look with Willow and moved, the glasses girl took the book from the kid’s hands with a smile and an apology while Luz looked at the cover of the thing, and then at the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King’s photo greeted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s what he can manage to pull off,” Willow commented, and Luz groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did she really have to apologize and explain to the little jerk?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda groaned while looking around the forest. Why did she take that stupid quest again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, right, Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really wish I wasn’t so impulsive…” she whispered, passing through a bush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Bloom of Eternal Youth’ was such a stupid idea, and it was probably a scam considering the guy who gave her the map and his shoes—no legit mystic dealer would have such poor arc support—all together with his rarely open desire to help her win an argument against her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was fishy, and Eda knew about that stuff, sadly and proudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped on the Minotaur’s statue and looked around, taking out the map and messing with Luz’s drawing. She took the paper and fixed it, returning it to its place inside her hair before checking her position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not frail…” Eda mumbled and looked at the statue. “She is older than me, what the hell is her deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was still mad, hell, she could strangle her sister at any second if she was honest…! But she was also happy, in some strange way, that Lilith was well enough to appear in public, that had to mean something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apart from the fact that she had, indeed, helped Belos reach her house even when she said she didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was still trying to suppress her anger about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard steps closing by and hid. Preparing a blade of magic and a fireball, she waited for the sounds to stop. She prepared her jump-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why am I here?” the newcomer said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been sent on an important mission,” another voice answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tensed, she had heard just one set of steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ‘Bloom of Eternal Youth’ is but a myth, Kikimora!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you are but an officer who is at test. Do I need to remind you all the days we had to keep an eye on you because you weren’t fast enough to avoid the Emperor’s spell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody has been able to escape the activation of that spell!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, the ‘Owl Lady’, your </span>
  <em>
    <span>wild</span>
  </em>
  <span> sister managed to overpower it </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> break it!” There was a pause and Eda dropped her spells. “Are you sure you want to keep remembering your disgrace, Lilith?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then go on, you have to find this flower, or confirm the falsity of its rumors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda heard a ‘clicking’ sound and a scream. She stood up and rounded the statue again, she found Lilith stomping on the ground and covering her eyes with one hand. She looked… tired, her neck was bandaged and her hair was filled with leaves, she also had mud staining her cape and dress. What was she doing with a long dress in the woods?!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, I’m wearing heels…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, looking down to her feet and giggling, she looked at her sister. “Lily!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing her stumble and almost hit the ground made Eda break into laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?!” Lilith screamed, “…why am I surprised? Of course, you are here to spoil everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda calmed down as she could and looked at her sister. “Bold of you to say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know the state of your niece?” Eda asked and Lilith tensed. “I guess not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’ve been checking every day on the healer guild…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With your goons?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On my own,” Lilith jib back, “I don’t think I can trust anybody about Lucelyn anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why the change of heart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith glared at her and walked closer to Eda, she stopped at a few inches. Eda had looked at her sister in the eyes a lot more since Luz came into her life, but before that, she had only seen them when they were both kids; and she… she found it almost ridiculous the little they’ve changed when they got separated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora gave an order of apprehension on her, ” Lilith said, “the coven is now looking for her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was the one tensed then. “Is she a criminal now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not yet, she is being searched as a person of interest.” Lilith sighed. “I’ve been trying to get the jurisdiction back, but Kikimora and the Emperor are keeping me off the case, since I woke up I’ve been doing paperwork, patching up wounded recruits, and restocking on potions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sound more like an assistant than a coven head,” Eda said, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took it away almost immediately. Lilith’s expression didn’t change, but she did flinch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m basically their slave now, since I went to warn you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did do that, uh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith glared at her. “Of course I did, the Emperor might be a wise ruler, but I haven’t forgotten how he got his position, Edalyn. I wasn’t going to let him take you by surprise, not with my niece’s life at stake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled a little. “You haven’t even talked to the kid, and yet you are doing all this for her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might not have talked to her yet, but I’ve seen you,” Lilith said, walking, Eda followed. “You are livelier, happier, making less aggressive acts against the coven system if the reports are right… and you did get her into school, if you didn’t lie to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might have lied.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to send guards to Hexside for her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She deserves an education; I’m not going to get in the way of that.” Lilith sighed and looked down. “So the information of Lucelyn being in Hexside will remain as a secret of mine for the time being.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled and looked ahead; feeling like something was lifted from her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Lily,” She said, “I… appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing it for Lucelyn; she needs to see that your way is not the only way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>the funnier way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fun </span>
  <em>
    <span>isn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s close enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh! You are impossible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I like it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you being such a nuisance?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m good at it, and I’m also tougher than you think!” Eda smiled, “I’m gonna get that ‘Bloom’ and prove it.” She started running. “I’m gonna get there before you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?! No, you won’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fame was something nostalgic and at the same time new for King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was different, being a ruler and being a famous person. As the ruler, one had to wear gold and other fancy things, as a celebrity, anything you wore became a fancy thing! You also got things, but while being a ruler made people give them to you because they’re obligated to, as a famous person, you receive things from people because they </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>to give them to you!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And somehow, that made a huge difference.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a star now, King! And the party will be held tonight, hope you are ready,” Piniet said, smiling at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King scratched his cheek. “As ready as I can be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great, I’ll be seeing you then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King looked at the invitation he had gotten to Luz and laughed a little. She was going to be so happy for him!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King walked the streets with a newfound sense of perception for his surroundings, wherever he walked, people were cheering for him, giving him offerings, and singing his name on screams! He was a king again! He was loved again!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He passed a little group of people after signing their faces and books, and almost ran out of town. He was amazed by how people were never nice to him, and now? He had all the people in the isles being nice to him, he could do so many things! He could get in the rides for free! He could eat all he wanted for free! And he could have people moving aside instead of pushing his way through their legs and knees!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t invisible anymore!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I could get Piniet to give Luz a good collection of books, she does love ‘em,” he said to himself entering the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could make all those cool things with Luz, too! He smiled at the possibilities; he could get Luz things to sleep better, hell! He could get her a bed! Or maybe some of those stupid witch things she always talked about, he could-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Why am I thinking of giving?” he stopped on the way to Luz’s room after saying that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King closed his eyes and considered all. Not even with Eda had he thought so much of </span>
  <em>
    <span>giving. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was the King of demons! He should be receiving things, not giving them!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought of giving </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span> things was something that had come naturally for him, an idea of sorts that just so happened to come to him out of nowhere, literally out of nowhere. He wasn’t… what was the word? Generous? No, not that one… Stupid! Yeah, that was it! King wasn’t stupid! He knew giving things was something people did when they wanted something in exchange, be it forgiveness or payment, it was always like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luz wasn’t, strangely enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave him food just for the heck of it, she let him sleep with her even when he told her not to touch him, she had listened to him when he talked about demons for hours with all the attention he could’ve expected and interest, but not because her life was in danger—at the moment—but because she wanted to hear him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was always giving him things, and rarely did she want something in exchange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe that was it. “The kid is rubbing off on me…” King whispered, restarting his walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s room’s door was open. He peeked inside and saw Luz frowning in front of the writing machine. She looked so… tired, and mad. But why mad? She had told him to get the idea in the contest as his own, hasn’t she?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she just needed to know how good all had turned out? Yeah, that must be it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Luz!” He started, “guess who won the writing competition and became a blockbuster writer superstar?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t look up to him, weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sprinted towards her. “You’re right, It’s me! Me!” No response yet, he looked down and took the scarf on his neck. “You wanna touch my scarf? A fan crocheted it out their own hair. It smells </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz still wouldn’t look at him. He felt something inside him moving, was that anger? No, anger always made him want to scream and punch things, he loved punching after all! But… but that thing he felt in that moment just made him want a hug and for Luz to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want that feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King got the glasses up and his paw on the jacket. “My publisher is throwing a party for my book ‘Rulers reach’!” He said leaving the invitation on the table. “And, I, uh, I’d like you to be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited for a response, maybe an angry word for how she was acting, hell, she would’ve expected a punch and a laugh if that was Eda!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luz didn’t do any of those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved her hand, and pushed the invitation to the ground. The simple motion was such a hit for King, he would’ve preferred a punch. Luz didn’t look at him that time either, she was ignoring him, like he wasn’t there! She was-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…She was making him invisible. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurt him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited for a second, hoping for Luz to at least yell at him for whatever Titan knows the reason, but there wasn’t anything, Luz kept typing with her good arm, like he wasn’t there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, fine…” King said, getting the glasses down, she was not getting his wet eyes, “be that way, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned around, and he waited again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked slowly outside the house, not making a scene, not breaking character at any moment. Luz wanted to treat him like he wasn’t there? Good for her! King didn’t need her, he had a horde of fans desperate to give him the attention he needed! He didn’t need Luz and her… friendship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had fans, fame, and attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need Luz…” King whispered, and kept talking back to town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still can’t believe he scammed us,” Lilith muttered, looking at her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned her head to Edalyn, her eyes scanning the figure of her sister, she was still dealing her final blows to the stupid seller that had tried to… eat them? Maybe just drain them from life force? Whatever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chose his targets wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been telling you, it was a fifty-fifty chance,” Edalyn said, “not like he was any threat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith took a seat on the ‘altar’ staring ahead, she could see the forest she had just wandered into and where she almost died, and where Edalyn had saved her, even when she was still mad at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost laughed at the ridiculous situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was the strongest coven head, she had the best rank in the people of the isles, answering only to two people over her, she was Lilith Clawthorne, the youngest witch ever to become a head of a coven… and yet, she needed her sister to save her from a beast. The disgrace would follow her forever if anybody ever knew about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you frowning about now?” Edalyn asked. “You are as quiet as those times when your crush would walk close and ya started to panic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith felt the heat getting to her cheeks and looked away. “That was one time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Per week!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Can’t blame ‘em for sharing the truth.” Eda dealt a new kick on the demon’s middle before turning to fully face her. “Now, what is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and looked at the sky. She could’ve avoided all that, the chasing, the pain Lucelyn was suffering, the pain Edalyn was suffering, the whole stupid problem if she just…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Lilith finally said, “I’m sorry, Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, for what? This dude wasn’t anything to be worried about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for placing Lucelyn and you on the Emperor’s view. I’m sorry for guiding him to you… and I’m sorry for what he did to Lucelyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn took a sharp breath and Lilith looked up, finding her sister’s glare on the ground. She felt scared for a second, but the way Edalyn’s hands were shaking was no threatening—much—but more like… sad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what he did to her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith nodded slowly. “He… He gave me instructions to keep watch in all the Healers coven outposts and clinics, and that if anybody saw her or someone who was… injured like that, the troops shall go and retrieve her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Edalyn groan and felt her drop next to her. Lilith watched her move some vines with her feet and cover her face with both hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did well on going to them…” Edalyn whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So she did get her help.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lilith thought, a small smile growing on her face. “How is she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Doing fine, more or less, her arm is busted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ve heard…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did he tell you about how he broke it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No, he didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn laughed a bit. “He threw a boulder, over her already twisted beyond limits arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The image came to Lilith too vividly, her eyes closed and she held her own arm for fear of what could mean having to face such a pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The kid still has nightmares, you know?” Edalyn said, lowering her hands. “I’ve gotten a temporary solution, but that’s all that it is, temporary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith then felt like she wasn’t talking to a criminal, she wasn’t even talking to her sister. Edalyn’s face was tired, worried, filled with dread and desperation that her sister had never expressed, feelings she doubted Eda had ever felt for anything… she had never been like that, Edalyn was the one that always had a plan, always with a scheme or just a stupid joke running so she could be sure everything, in the end, could go well if she tried hard enough, Titan! Even her curse didn’t seem to bother her that much!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And yet, thinking of her child suffering left her… defenseless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what I’m gonna do, Lily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith bit her lip and looked away, suddenly, telling her to join the coven seemed… wrong. Even worse when she remembered the Emperor himself had managed to inflict such pain and trauma on her sister’s kid, on her </span>
  <em>
    <span>niece!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be with her,” Lilith said instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be with her, Edalyn,” she repeated, looking at her sister’s eyes, “be with Lucelyn, because she needs you now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m with her all day, and that hasn’t done-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m talking about nights, Edalyn,” Lilith cut her off, “remember when </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> had nightmares after the first time we did abominations?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn’s cheeks became a little red, Lilith barely resisted the need to laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always came to my room, asking me if we could sleep together, just because having someone close to you, someone you could… </span>
  <em>
    <span>trust, </span>
  </em>
  <span>gave you the strength to fight your fears.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I was a kid, Lily. Luz is a teenager! I doubt she wants her mom sleeping with her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you asked her?” No response. “Edalyn, you’ll never know unless you ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence, a good kind of it, Lilith thought. One of those when Edalyn would think about what she just said, about the small things she knew about her sister—that, still, somehow, remained the same—and herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I-I’ll ask her,” Edalyn said, “but I’m sure you are wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled. “I may be, but, if it’s for her sake, what harm could do to ask?” She giggled a little. “Wow, I don’t remember you being this cooperative since a long time ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Long time ago? I was never like this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you were!” Lilith closed her eyes and smirked. “I can still remember when you were a kid and did everything I told you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hugh, don’t tell me about the dark times!” Eda pushed her aside and closed her eyes. “Unbelievable, I haven’t had this conversation since…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and Lilith looked at her. “Since when?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Ah, since I ran away from home I guess. My head has been playing a bit with me lately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure the age is not affecting you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not old, in any case, you are older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not the cursed one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are the enslaved one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t have a response to that, so she didn’t reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed in silence for a little while and Lilith looked ahead, her mind wondering about how weird that situation was. She should be trying to catch her sister, bring her to the Emperor, and make justice… right, she had already passed that stupid, blind hope, stage. Lilith knew better than that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But still, she should be trying to do her job... but instead, she was talking to her, giving her </span>
  <em>
    <span>advice </span>
  </em>
  <span>on taking care of her niece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had always thought she would have a kid before her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made her look at Edalyn again, and that time, her eyes drifted towards the gem in her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith bit her lip before daring to let out the words. “How is your curse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda reacted slowly, her position didn’t change but she did sigh, getting a hand to her gem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m managing…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing what I can, Lily,” Edalyn said, looking down. “It’s kinda hard to try to battle yourself, but I’m working on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Losing your soul, ge-getting devoured by that ‘Owl Beast’... it’s something horribly dangerous,” Lilith replied, “why can’t you just let me help you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because your help comes with a price too high to pay.” Edalyn looked at her. “The man that you are telling me to follow has proven, multiple times, that he doesn’t care about me, or about the promise he made to you, I can’t do it, Lily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked down and sighed. “I know… at least now I do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That’s, huh, a sudden change of heart you have there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a fool, sister,” Lilith replied, “I can see when things are not what I expected them to be-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see that now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you were always the one to accept outrageous things rather easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was how I got my first date.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t remind me, I had to blast that imbecile through a roof afterward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always wondered who did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always knew it was me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed at that and stayed silent for a few minutes after that, the cold night air making the moment a bit… memorable. It was hard to have nice weather on the isles in that season.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed this,” Lilith whispered, “having you around… I’m so sorry, for letting things come this way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn didn’t say anything and she didn’t need to. Lilith knew all too well the extent of the damage she had caused her sister. She saw Edalyn stand up while she got her staff and mounted looking back at her. The foxy smile and daring eyes were back, her sister was back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, sister, catch ya later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not if I catch you first,” Lilith whispered, looking her go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a little rattle from some branches and she looked down, the demon was still conscious, surprisingly enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You’re welcome… for the bonding opportunity…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith burned him a little more before going away herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She must’ve seen it coming, but being as mad as she was—not counting embarrassed—she didn’t actually care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was until she was inside the stupid box spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not getting out from here until we write a book. And that’ll take forever!” King cried. “We are cube meat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at him and got her hand into her bag. “Well, I still have my story.” She pulled the book in front of his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s all hugging and crying! I can’t put my name on that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at him and she almost cried right then and there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King, that’s why we are here!” She shouted at him, turning her back on him, “Because you can’t compromise!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I wanted was to write a dumb story with my friend!” She said, looking at her cast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is this so important to you? Being a writer was a runner up dream, wasn’t it? You said it yourself!” King said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care about the competition!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was about spending time with you!” Luz shouted. “I just wanted to write dumb stuff with you, to forget for a minute about all that came down on me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“L-Luz… Listen-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! You listen! I’m not the one I was before, King!” She replied, “I’m not the same girl from before and it’s eating me alive, you think I can just forget it?! I lost something that day with Belos and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back!” Her voice broke then. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know if I can get it back…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, while her hand went to her cast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at King over her shoulder for a second before looking back to the front; she was no letting him get her tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not the same oblivious teen from before… but this, this was something I wanted to do because it was a way to spend time with you and away from all the stupid things that had happened, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you didn’t care!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You are the King of demons, so I should have known, but Willow and I thought you would get it if I explained it to you. But when I tried, you came to me and made fun of all I did, all the hard work I put into the story… you… you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took a sharp breath and rubbed her face with her good arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You acted just like all the people I’ve met in my life before coming here,” she whispered, “I know I’m a weirdo… but I thought you were my friend, I thought you will at the very least tell me before going into your ridiculous fame rampage, or that you at least will try to be nicer when telling me you didn’t like my ideas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at King, he wasn’t moving apparently too surprised by her words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You acted like a bully,” Luz said, “so sorry if this hurts, but maybe you do deserve to become a cube.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stayed with her back turned at him, fighting the stupid tears. Why did she have to cry for everything lately? She wasn’t a crybaby! She was a witch, a teenager, like that old TV show! She didn’t have a talking cat but she had a talking demon! A jerk talking demon, but still!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was thinking stupid things again, and that frustrated her even more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” King said, “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t fix anything-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it doesn’t, but I need to say it… you’re right. I-I was a bully, and a jerk and bottom line the worst kind of friend ever… and there is no justification for that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and looked back, was King… crying?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you... you are living your dream, OK? You are in a magical world, becoming a witch, and looking for your family. But being this celebrity is the closest I’ll ever be to my dream… I’m not a ruler any more, I’m not powerful now… and getting the power I got, it…it went all to my head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I thought that giving you things I could make you happy, but I never thought of what I was taking from you while doing it,” he continued, “I stepped on your ideas and… and I’m so sorry about it! I’m a painfully bad friend, and the worst kind of writing partner! But…But I don’t want to lose you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned at that last phrase; the tears rolling down King’s bone cheeks were all so shiny and heartbreaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are one of the few friends I have… you are my family now, even.” King looked down. “So, please… please, don’t push me away… don’t leave me alone, I’m sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved slowly and got him in a hug—pretty awkward with only one arm and not enough space to maneuver—burying his head in her belly. She left him to cry for a while. She didn’t actually want to do it, her body flinched at the contact, but King snuggled in her belly, and Luz’s discomfort faded away, the closeness warming something so… cold that had been bothering all that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She still couldn’t handle much touching, not after… not after all that happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But hugging King felt… right, the right thing to do, and it also felt nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe I just needed this, and not a stupid book writing competition.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought while looking at King. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise… and King, being with you is one of my favorite parts of this dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed about to say something to her, but Luz felt how the stupid spell got small and hit her on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glared at the thing. “I have a plan, but we need to work together this time,” she said, looking at King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed ready to give a speech at that very moment, but something in his eyes moved and he nodded instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just tell me what to do,” King said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was pretty proud of herself at the moment it all came together like it was a play or a movie. Piniet read the manuscript, he showed them the light glyph page, Luz pushed all the magic she had into it and he got blinded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, it was King’s time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a pretty bad punchline correction, King used his scarf—it did smell bad!—to get his contract, and Luz burned it, just to be sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The box opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Freedom!” King shouted, getting Piniet’s suitcase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made you a star!” Piniet said, “And this is how you repay me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King turned at him. “No! This is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he opened the suitcase, all according to plan… of course, she hadn’t counted on the bulky guards or the sudden lack of energy she would feel for using all her magic at once again. She had actually forgotten the weight of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are making this harder than it needs to be!” Piniet got free from his cube authors. “And believe me! I’ve been very patient! I should’ve just called the Emperor’s coven!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got his pen out, and pushed a button on it. Luz had dreamed of a pen sword as many other teens, but a pen ax? Was it wrong to find it cool?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he had just mentioned the Emperor’s coven…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you call them?” Luz asked, closing her fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The reward,” Pinion said and smiled. “The Emperor’s coven is looking for the child of a criminal, I wonder, how much is your mother willing to pay to get you? How much would the Emperor’s coven pay to know where you are?!” he laughed and glared at her.  “But you’re hardly worth the inconvenience, so let us cut to the finish!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took King in her arms and dived under the swing, she kicked Piniet on the shins and rolled away from him, leaving King aside she took his weapon from the ground and tried to lift it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a useless effort, but she did manage to get it back to the pen size.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it back!” Piniet screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at him and raised her hand. “Make me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully she didn’t have to live to those words. The door swung open at that moment and a pretty livid Tiny Nose walked inside, screaming about her ‘Stowy’ and whatnot. Piniet was furious with her until he read through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This… is… beautiful!” he said, dropping to his knees. “You! You have to let me publish this! I can make you a star!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at the development and prepared to run… of course, King had other ideas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, but, what about King?” he asked and Luz glared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh!” Piniet said, and took the jacked from him. “You are old news.” he then turned to Tiny. “But she is the future! Much better than that kid you have a writing partner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt hurt, but she could live with that, so she moved and took King by the armpits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… we are good?” Luz asked, walking slowly backward with King in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, quite,” Piniet said, not looking at her. “but, keep in mind, girl, that I’m not the only one who would turn if there’s a chance to get a favor from the Emperor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and bit her lip, she forced herself to move and smiled while rushing outside the room, King managed to get his mouth free from her grip and almost growled while she pulled them both away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn is a far better writer than any of you!” King shouted while she ran into the main area of the announcement party.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully Pinion didn’t seem to hear him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gotta get out of here…” she whispered and moved behind a family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped when she saw the Emperor’s coven guards patrolling the place. She hid behind a column and waited, begging that they haven’t seen her. She stood there for five maybe six minutes before looking back, the guards were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she’d be wise to do so, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora walked past the chambers of the soldiers with a stern look, some people had been extremely careful not to mess with her, but she had found the ones who just had to get on her wrong side in the worst moment possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to kill someone soon-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora…” a voice came, like a phantom whisper from behind her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped all her body freezing and sending alarms. She was used to it, it kept her sharp and prepared. Didn’t mean she enjoyed the sudden invasion of her mind nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come… to me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and walked past the same routes she had seen that day two times already. She even saw Lilith going to the baths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could she come back so soon from a mission like the one she was sent to? It escaped her comprehension.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora stopped her walk in front of the throne room doors and made sure nobody was close to the place before she dared to open the entrance and walk inside. She closed immediately behind her and took a deep breath before facing the… </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> waiting for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… Kiki…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lowered her head. “My liege, you requested me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, certainly…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora looked up. Emperor Belos was breathing hard on his throne, his eyes covered by his hand and his shoulders tense, his legs were visibly shaking under his tunic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora had always hated to see him in that state… in truth; she had always hated how he acted while in that state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is the search for the child going?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All forces are currently tracking her, my liege, we have soldiers on all healers outposts and potion deliverers routes. We have the hose under surveillance, but the demon has repelled us-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” he interrupted her, “you haven’t captured her yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora swallowed hard. “No, my-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ground opened under her before she even finished talking. Multiple layers of teeth and fangs almost closed around her, she didn’t put up any resistance, she was wiser than that. The teeth and other things stopped at millimeters from her skin… and eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I hate disappointment, Kiki,” Emperor Belos said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware, my liege…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then, please make sure to capture her, before I can walk outside again.” Belos looked at her, his eyes shining with a blood-red glow. “Understood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Emperor Belos…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why do you still dare to fail me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no response for this…” she passed saliva before daring to speak again. “M-My liege, i-if I may, why don’t we make her a public enemy, or just share the information about her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence and then she felt how something closed around her neck, making her look up, she was faced with two burning red eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not wish for this to go out in the open, Kiki,” Emperor Belos said, his words long and slow. “Imagine what those power-hungry witches would try if they knew about this affair…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-About the Clawthorne… offspring?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos dropped her and chuckled. “Yes… imagine what they would try to do to gain my favor. I do not wish to deal with nuisances.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“U-Understood…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at her for long enough to make anyone uncomfortable, and then moved his hand. The teeth and fangs disappeared and she was once again standing on solid ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on then,” Belos said, “I’ll be expecting good news soon, Kikimora, I don’t like not knowing where she is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She exited the room and kept herself from screaming by eating her nails—a horrible habit—while walking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was the stupid offspring such a big deal?! Yes, Lilith and Edalyn were great witches, and another Clawthorne could boost the manpower in their ranks, they could even use the kid as a lever to get the other witch and finally stop dealing with her, but the desperation with which the Emperor was looking for her was out of place!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who is the stupid kid?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kikimora thought, stopping and looking at Lilith who walked past a group of soldiers in the direction of her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to find out about the witchling, one way or another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was shocked, to say the less.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Learning that the girl you are just thinking about has a pet that just became the bestselling author in the ‘Boling Isles’ would be shocking, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh, it shouldn’t even be possible!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at the last remains of King’s fame being disposed of and replaced with the newest sensation, Tiny Nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How is everything around her so weird?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought and sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and tried to ignore it, she was just looking for a new training wand, she needed to focus. Amity looked at her scroll, the image of the Emperor’s coven apprentice program shining on the publication.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn’t lie and say she was excited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The memory of her duel with Luz was still fresh on her head, the idea of Lilith… but that wasn’t the case with the rest of the coven, it couldn’t be! So she just needed to prepare herself, and maybe another witch could be her instructor!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would be great if I could get someone high up inside the coven to mentor me…” she whispered, putting her scroll away and turning a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already told you I don’t know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and looked inside the alley next to her, she saw two Emperor’s coven guards and a thin man, the man was tied up by magic chains hanging from his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity cringed and looked away, she knew the coven used some… extreme measures, when dealing with criminals, those were necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t mean she liked to think of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are going to ask one last time,” the coven guard said, “where is the kid?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know who you are talking about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ‘Owl Lady’s’ kid, tell us where she is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity tensed and she moved instinctively to hide behind a box, her pulse rushing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know where a freaking kid is! I only move illegal merchandise!” the man responded and Amity’s eyes grew bigger. “I do contraband, not kidnappings or whatever sh-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity heard a hit and a scream, and she covered her mouth to avoid gasping. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s happening?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t play with us!” the guard said and Amity heard another hit. “Think, back, we are looking for a kid with a broken left arm and red hair!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I… I don’t know a kid like that…” the man from before replied and there was another hit. “I swear I don’t know! What do you want? You want money? I can give it to you, take all you want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence after that and Amity opened her eyes, she dared a look over the side of the box she was hiding behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man from before was on the ground, shivering, and both guards from the coven were </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, while cleaning themselves. Amity felt like throwing up right there and then at the red stains on the ground and walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t care about your money, or your stupid business, the Emperor is looking for the kid,” the guard said, “so you know what you have to do if you see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards made a spell circle and jumped, getting away from the alley over the rooftops while the man—criminal, Amity needed to remember that—stood up slowly, cleaning himself with a tissue and spitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Idiots,” the man whispered and leaned on the wall, “as if I’d just turn a mother and her daughter to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared and leaned closer, the man had… lied?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved and she backed off, standing up and looking the other way until she heard him by her side, the man had broad shoulders, and multiple eyes, he smiled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you were looking,” he said, “don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity swallowed and looked down. “You are a criminal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The coven says so, I was imprisoned once, too, for eating my own eyes,” he explained and Amity looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told them that you managed contraband.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of fried food on the vegan restaurants,” he explained and pointed to a cart, Amity followed and saw a lot of flasks labeled with ‘oil’. “They like to use used oil to fry their stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Ugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, us demons will eat anything, I know what I’m talking about!” he said and laughed, Amity smiled a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held her arm and looked to the side. “Why…Why didn’t you turn her in?” she asked, looking at the man-demon’s face. “The girl they asked you about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She saved me,” he replied, “and she hasn’t done anything wrong, she can’t choose who her mother is, and even then, I don't think she deserves to be put away. I mean, the woman is a pickpocket, but she does a lot less wrong than those thugs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thugs?” Amity repeated, “But they are the Emperor’s coven! They are supposed to protect us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon sighed and looked away. “You need to pay more attention to your surroundings kid, that coven doesn’t do anything like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t have the time to answer him, he just moved to his cart and started pulling it away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…What just happened?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her way to the wands shop and back was filled with a lot of revelation for her after those words, even when she didn’t want to accept it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Luz’s mom’s ‘wanted’ posters all over the place, she saw a lot of people breaking the rules she had learned to respect in her coven books… but the place was all twisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You heard about the ‘Owl Lady’s’ kid getting hurt?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity heard that question many times, the coven’s guards didn’t ask again, but she opened up her ears after the first rumor, everybody talked about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not like it was something to inform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard worried voices, she heard comments on how Luz—the kid, in the rumors—was doing, she heard some old ladies talking about being worried over her, and some men who moved boxes commented about how horrible it must have been for Eda to deal with something like that on her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity couldn’t understand it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had grown thinking that having a wanted poster meant you were hated, chased, and avoided, it was how that worked! But when people talked about Luz and her mom, they didn’t sound like that, they weren’t mad, or mean, or even impolite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, they were the opposite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They feared for Luz’s condition, they empathized with Eda and they made silent nods, whispered promises, and small gestures where they made sure to let one single message so clear that even her, an outsider could understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody was talking to the coven about Luz; nobody was selling the Clawthorne family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sat on a bench, trying to make sense of the world again, and sighed when it became impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What is wrong with the city…?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything had been so different during Covention…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed and looked to the side, the pale skin and blue hair recognizable immediately, she frowned at the woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and raised one hand. “I come in peace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And without cheats?” Amity asked, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I deserve that, I guess,” she sighed and walked closer. “What brings you to the market?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Preparation for the next apprentice selection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? I’ve almost forgotten those were close,” Lilith commented, taking a seat beside her. “The inspector from the coven should be visiting Hexside soon, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you are not stuck with Kikimora, that woman is judges more than my mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt she does more than mine,” Amity muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lilith </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Don’t put your hopes high, she can be devastating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at the woman, noticing the tired look in her eyes and the leaves on her hair, her dress was ripped on the end of her skirt and her cloak was stained with dirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing here, Miss. Clawthorne?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me Lilith, Amity,” she replied, “I haven’t felt like a Clawthorne lately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-OK, Lilith?” she said tentatively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not so hard, is it?” Lilith asked and looked to the front. “I was on a mission for the Emperor, retrieving a flower, or proving its existence. It ended up being a myth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I-I’m sorry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be, there was hardly a chance of it being real,” Lilith said and shrugged. “I’ve come to learn when to expect something, this time was just not one of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled and looked at her. “What’s troubling you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know those eyes.” The women sighed and looked to the sky. “Something is making you think a lot, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked and looked down, considering her situation and who that woman was, how was she supposed to talk to the head of the coven about what was going on around Luz and her mom? It was ridiculous!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is it?” Amity finally asked, and Lilith made a humming sound. “Having a criminal sister?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Is complicated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In many ways, it is complicated.” Lilith sighed. “Like not knowing if I should capture her or just give her a giveaway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? But I thought that as the head of the Coven you had to punish criminals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who told you that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s common sense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not,” Lilith said, “just think about it, I’ve known where my sister lives, I know where she places her stand, you think that if it was because of simple law she wouldn’t be apprehended by now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t have a reply for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The reason why my sister is still roaming free is that she is at much a nuisance to people,” Lilith said, looking to the market, “they all know her, what she does, and I could be some of them got things from her or she took them from them, be what it may, they all know her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Then why don’t you interrogee them?” Amity asked, closing her fists over her knees. “Why don’t make justice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because making justice is not my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what the hell is your job?” Amity screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence and she felt her cheeks getting hotter with each second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lilith replied. “Enforce the Emperor’s will, nothing less, nothing more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked up so fast that her neck made a bad sound, but she didn’t flinch at that, she just looked at Lilith’s eye. The tired, restless, and lonely eyes of the woman she had admired for so long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor’s coven is not what you think, Amity,” Lilith whispered, standing up. “We are not fair, much less righteous, so if it’s what you expected, you better choose another path… please, choose another path.” Lilith looked back at her. “The coven may be the top of the system, but the top is a lonely place to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity wouldn’t understand why, but she believed every single word Lilith told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… I gotta go,” Lilith said and summoned her staff, getting on it. “Have a nice day, Amity Blight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw her fly away in silence, more confused than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around, and noticed the few sets of eyes that were on her—she suspected there had been more—and hugged herself. The people nodded and smiled at her, returning to their work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity felt like she was… safe, somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and tried, once more, to understand what was happening around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The people would choose Eda and Luz over the Emperor’s coven, even Lilith would…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is all so messed up…” she whispered and stood up, starting her way back home again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw her house, the mansion had always stood away from the town, keeping them separated from them in more than one way, even when she visited it so regularly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity finally understood, well, a little part of her mind dilemma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt herself as a part of the ‘Bones Borough’, and the coven as outsiders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Really…Really messed up…” She groaned and rushed to get to her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed time to think, she needed time to understand, to comprehend, to feel like she wasn’t losing her mind! She needed peace for a second in her damn head! She-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I need…I need Luz…” she whispered and took out her scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was the root of its wall, Luz could’ve lied to her, she could’ve been tricking her into thinking she was good, it could all be a ruse!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…But she couldn’t believe that, not after talking to Luz, after learning of what had happened to her, after… after…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to talk to her, not a text, she needed a real talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta do this!” she told herself and opened Luz’s chat. “…How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today was a harsh day…” Luz sighed, leaning on the door to her room, looking at the mess of papers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled a little and moved to get the things out of her sleeping bag place, King had run to the kitchen and was hiding in god knows where while Eda was sitting on the couch if she hadn’t moved, Luz pushed a stack of Luzura’s possible backstories aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I really think of making her a werewolf?” She whispered looking at the top sheet of paper, unrolling her sleeping bag, “some ideas are better in the dark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz dropped and looked at the ceiling, her eyes wandered from the little scorch marks she had done in her first night—testing her magic before it went feral could have been a bad idea—to the little stars she had managed to paste on the roof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That day, just like the one she just had, both had been a ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She managed to get her manuscript—even if overly altered—into a contest and it had won! She accomplished a dream of old Luz… and also learned that King was just as desperate as her to be recognized. Who would’ve thought that little cute furball was such a deep character?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz would’ve, if she had read him in a book and not met him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to step up…” she whispered, getting her scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at all the information about King and the new ‘Stowy” Tiny Nose had made; she laughed a bit at how fast the literary community developed on the ‘Boiling Isles’. In the human world it would take a month to just get the first images out. Luz scrolled through posts and she was about to put the thing away when it changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got a message.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were simply four words, and the person who sent them was what surprised her the most.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Can I call you?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz decided just to call herself. Placing the scroll next to her ear, she heard the musical ‘beep’ four times before there was a short silence on the other side of the ‘line’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Hello?” came a shaky voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled, and closed her eyes. “Hi, Amity. How is it going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I just saw what your pet did. It was a huge scandal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, King might be small, but his problems are always big.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Massive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Giant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enormous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gigantinormous!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a word!” Amity said, laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a ghostwriter! I can say what I want!” Luz stated and laughed hard, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity and she stayed laughing for a while before the teal haired witch talked again. “You are unbelievable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In a way. Hey, say…” Luz opened her eyes at that, Amity was… nervous? “The twins gave me some sweets and I can’t eat all of them on my own, would you like some?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweets? Won’t they spoil?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re packed sweets, mother hates us eating them so Ed and Em just hide them around the house, since the, uh, ‘library incident’ they’ve been extra attentive and nice, so they gave me some.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you sure you want to share ‘em? Won’t it be better if you have your own secret dotation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not such a sweet tooth, to be honest, I like chocolate but that would be it, I also like it bitter, more than that, they gave the ones that will spoil soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz rolled her eyes. “Of course they did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… would you like some?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure! I’ll never say no to sweets, or a chance to meet you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz panicked, had she said that out loud?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha…What I meant was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I also like hanging out with you,” Amity said, stopping her, “even if we are always close to dying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz recomposed herself with a couple of deep breathes, she could do that, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry, that’s kinda my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More like your mom’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, she didn’t have anything to do most of the time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did make that spell at the end of our duel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hugh, sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… fine,” Amity sighed, “I was being horrible to you during that fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think it was understandable,” Luz commented, “I’m a wild witch that just picked a fight, my magic and all that stuff just made it all weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like your magic is also a trouble maker on its own, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed, and looked at her arm. “It used to be a bit hard to handle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Used to?” Amity repeated, “Luz, did something happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I…” she stopped and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was it a good idea to share that with Amity? No, most surely… and yet… Luz just needed to get it out, to talk to someone about what had happened to her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I think I lost part of my powers,” she said, opening her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was the sound of a gasp and movement on the other side of the line, she heard something falling and crashing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity? You OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m OK!” Came the rushed response. “B-But Luz, are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed. “Pretty sure… my magic is too weak, too hard to grasp…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took one of the remaining notepads from the floor and a pencil, she drew the light glyph and touched it, running her magic through it. She felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a bite on her finger, and the paper reacted, as usual, it crumbled over itself and became a really small light ball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can barely do anything now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stayed silent for a while, “What…What did your mom say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… haven’t told her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, is just… just…” Luz bit her lip. “She’s been under so much pressure lately, Amity, she stood next to me every day while I was recovering, she pushed her boundaries for me and she never said anything about it and I…I didn’t want her to lose her mind over this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a mess, Amity. I know that much, but at least I was somewhat good at magic! But now…now I’m not even that-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it right there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz almost bit her tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hear me out, Lucelyn,” Amity began, “you are amazing, OK? You passed the test to get into Hexside without having any proper training, you are the daughter of a criminal and still a good person, you beat me on a witch’s duel where I was supposed to win! You are impressive with or without magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at nowhere in specific, and she felt how her cheeks became hotter and hotter while she tried to find words to reply. How was she supposed to answer that?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T…T-Thank you…” Oh, great Luz! You just had to stutter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did she hear something like a… mumble? “It’s OK… but never say anything like that again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try,” Luz whispered, “I would like to recover my magic, thou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Well, I think we could go to one place… when your arm is OK, of course!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A… Place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah! It’s where I go to train when the new semesters are beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A secret training ground?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is not much of a secret, dingus, is just that not many people like to go there, Boscha is a good example.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja! I guess she says something like: ‘This place is not of my level, move, peasants!’ or maybe I need to be more aggressive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Amity said, laughing, “That was pretty spot on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and closed her eyes, Amity was still laughing and the sound was pretty much relaxing, like Willow’s and Gus’s voices, Luz always felt better with those. She imagined Amity’s face, and she knew it wasn’t normal how perfect the image was, but she didn’t care much of it, Luz just thought:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I really like your laugh, Amity…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and opened her eyes. Had she…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You do…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz facepalmed so </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard </span>
  </em>
  <span>and whined, why did she do it with her covered hand?! Also, why in the hell did she say that out loud!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m here! I’m here!” she said, and swallowed. “And… yeah, I do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence after that, should she keep quiet? Had she just screwed up badly? Oh no… what if Amity won’t talk to her again, what if-?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Luz,” Amity said, “it’s… it’s the nicest thing someone had said to me and meant it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh…” That was… unexpected. “No sweat, I… I just…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I-I know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was left to say? Luz wondered, and she found her eyes going to her manuscript, the little she had saved from King’s ‘edition’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was worth a shot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I wrote a book? Not the one King published; another one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s called ‘Luzura’s Awakening!’ with capital letters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That name’s so cliché.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with a cliché?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, it just is,” Amity stopped for a second. “Is getting late, maybe I should hang up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked outside and stared at the moon. “Yeah… maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll text you the details of the place I want to go with you, if that’s OK?” Amity said, “So when you are better we could just go and see if we can get your powers back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’d love that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’d love to hear ‘bout Luzura some other time,” Amity replied, “night Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Night, Amity.”</span>
</p><p>..</p><p>...</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lumity for you, Lumity for you, and, hey LUMITY FOR YOU TOO!!!<br/>Yes, I love writing Lumity.<br/>Soooooooo..... what did you people think? I'm sure you all were expecting Belos to act a bit differently, but I gotta say, everything I write has a meaning... OK, no, I just have a plot already done and I hope you can enjoy the little surprises.<br/>On the chapter deal. "The Bones" is a song making allegory for relationships, my pal who helped me decided said that those were only romantic, but I disagree. I used to reflect on Luz and Eda recovering from the fight and also for Eda and Lilith, so yeah, there is the effect, you can re-read with that in mind and listening to the song, I promise that made me make some arrangements.<br/>"Every part of me" was a bit more personal and it's because now Luz can't be the same 'wing it' girl from before, even when what happened was horrible, she still has to put up with it, so... yeah, she is coping, whoever told ya that surviving is the end of it, was so wrong... Coming in hot with it, the main point in the story that uses the song is Luz's conversations, with both, King and Amity.<br/>Now that we exposed the music, the art was done in a bit of a rush and a bit of control. Rushed because I did it at 1 a.m. with the music keeping me working, so... and the planned part came because I wanted to have Amity on the art, even when King would've been better.</p><p>I can't pain fur, please forgive me? I couldn't!</p><p>Now that I said that, let's go with the next week's chapter insight! </p><p>Adventures in the Element is one of my favorites, and it has little dots of Lumity, but it's more than anything about Eda and Luz, so... yeah, we are having fun during that chapter. We also get to see a bit of other characters, so be prepared!<br/>As always, if it's not about the plot or spoilers, I'll be answering questions, I got all the good stuff you sent me, and it was so cool (you know who you are OP) and now I'm all set on really finishing this fic and starting new ones, and other stuff!<br/>Anyway, thanks for reading my rant, special thanks to all of you who commented (you have a special place on my heart) and I hope you enjoyed and to see ya next time!"<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Re-discovery In The Elements</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finally feeling like she can recover, and with her arm back into circulation... somewhat. Luz is ready to take a leap of faith back into her common life!<br/>But what happens when an afternoon out with Amity becomes a life-threatening situation and an attention call to her new lack of self-protective capacities?<br/>Now, while Luz is on a trip to re-discover her magic, Eda faces Lilith once again, this time, not as a friend, but as an enemy, and Willow and Gus are pushed over the edge of what they are actually doing by relating with our little half-a-witch.<br/>All while Emperor Belos hands start to pull threads in the shadows.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New chapter, New chapter, New chapter!!!!!!!<br/>Yeah, we got new chapter, so, happy day for me, and I hope yours gets a bit better (even when that's a little presumptuous on my part).<br/>Today I have Lumity! Buff Willow! Cinnamon roll Gus! Mom Eda! Poor Lilith!<br/>That's enough spoiler there.<br/>For the ones of you who didn't follow this story until recently, I gotta thank you for reading and coming along, I'm hoping you stick around to see how everything builds up towards the end.<br/>Anyway, today we also have art~ but as always, you'll know when you see it.<br/>Not much more to say, literally.<br/>Diclaimer: The Owl House and its characters do not belong to me, this story is made with the simple purpose if entertaining you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“As dark as the void may seem, if someone wants us enough… if we know ourselves enough, we will always find the light.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try moving it again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and imagined her finger moving, she felt a little twitch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s great, the nerves got knitted correctly,” Aaron said, and Luz opened her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… my arm is going to be OK?” she asked, looking at her limb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dark scar wasn’t that noticeable… hell, who was she kidding? It was like something just came and made its house in her forearm, burned it down, and left the death land on her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to keep up a bit of physical recovery and healing magic will also help to deal with it, you just need to take it easy,” Aaron said and turned to Eda, his smile turning into a frown. “Understood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, hey! I’ve been clean for two and a half weeks, I can keep it up!” Eda replied while crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do hope is true,” Marcus said, entering the room, “Luz, Willow is waiting for you outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and stood up, her damned cast already disposed of inside the trash can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be off then, Eda!” Luz said, smiling at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya, take care, OK?” Eda replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, mom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got out of the guests’ room and into the corridor, Willow was in a different outfit from her usual dress, instead, she wore sweatpants and a loose undershirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to begin your physical recovery?” Willow asked, smiling and passing her a bottle of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled back and took it. “Yeah! Get me in shape, cutie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m intending to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a promise Willow had made to Luz after all the time she spent looking at her with the cast on. Two full weeks on which Luz had been feeling a bit better, two weeks since Belos broke her arm. Luz was surprised about it all, being honest with herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In her world, an injury like hers would’ve never healed at all, let alone for it to be healed so fast. Magic, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So now she was jogging with Willow, since she had to spend the whole first week of her recovery in bed and the second one by doing small tasks and things that didn’t place any kind of strain on her body, she was pretty sure she just lost a lot of muscular mass, so, her best friend had taken upon herself to get Luz back in shape for her first day on Hexside the coming week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Luz, I know you have more stamina than that!” Willow called her from the end of the street they were passing by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took a sharp breath, she was only halfway through. “Coming!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity Bligh had done many things in her life that needed to be perfect and she was pretty much aware of how bothersome that would get at some point. Like at that moment, she needed to finally finish Luz’s book to return it that same afternoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> her fault that the thing managed to make her scream and roll over her bed with each important point! Nobody should make </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> good of a story, please!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, she was rushing through the last pages with a pretty desperate feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow Mittens, it’s not like Luz is going to throw you a test ‘bout the book ya know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity closed the book in a single motion and looked at her door. Emira was looking at her while leaning on the frame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want Emira?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister got inside the room and sat next to her on the bed. “Nothing, just to spend some time with my baby sis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity straightened her back. “What did Edric do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…He is trying to catch fire-lizards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wants a dragon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and covered her eyes with her hand. “He should know that dragons and fire-lizards are not the same, already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emira laughed a little while walked up to be next to her and proceeded to lean on her head, Amity tried to push her away, but Emira was bigger and stronger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the deal with the book?” Emira asked, “You are reading like mother will take it from you and burn it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That could happen, thanks,” Amity said, “and it’s Luz’s book, you know I have to return it today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Luz we are talking about; she would lend it to ya a bit longer if you asked.” Emira’s eyes then snapped open and a grin appeared on her face. “Unless…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity closed the book and hugged it. “…Unless…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t care about returning the book at all,” Emira said, “you just want an excuse to see Luz, am I right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was pretty sure she got beet red, so she bit her tongue and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew it!” Emira sang the words. “My baby sis has a crush!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-No, I don’t!” Amity shouted and tried to cover Emira’s mouth with her hands. “And stop it! What if mom hears you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She won’t, she is not home!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop anyway!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, OK! Mittens, not the abomination, not the abomination, the goo doesn’t wash out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took ten minutes for her to get Emira to calm down and stop trying to scream her lungs out of that stupid idea that just got into her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, Mittens!” Emira said, getting abomination goo out her hair. “Now I need another bath!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serves you right,” Amity muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All this just because I said you have a crush on Luz? Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a crush!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emira made a face. “Seriously? After getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>red and panicking overseeing her, are you still going with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity summoned her abomination again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, OK! You don’t have a crush on Luz!” Emira said, raising both hands, amity made the abomination disappear. “Geez! So unreasonable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a crush on Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, sis,” Emira said, “I’m going to take a bath.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity watched her get out of her room and made a spell to close the door. She could finally finish the book in peace and prepare to see Luz later that day. She looked at the outfit she had decided to use hanging on her closet door, and nodded, taking the book again and opening it on the page she had just left it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a crush on Luz, it would be too troublesome!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and remembered the call a few nights ago. She had prepared herself to ask Luz about her situation with the Emperor’s coven, about how Eda was so wanted by them, and all the things that didn’t add up to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they had just… talked, and she had known the answers to all her questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No criminal like the ‘Owl Lady’ they painted on the posters would lose her cool and her sleep for a kid, and Luz words, the way she talked… she wasn’t a lair, Amity knew about adulation, she had seen and received a lot, and that was why she knew Luz was truthful, she didn’t care about Blight money, nor position in the school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was nice without a motive… she was just nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She is not a criminal.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought and felt how her lips curved into a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she shook her head, it’d be better if she just finished the book, quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was in the middle of her morning training when she was summoned to the emperor’s chambers, not the throne room, but his chambers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that put her on edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was changed into her normal clothes, but she hadn’t taken a bath. Kikimora was nowhere to be found and she was pretty sure emperor Belos was more than ready to point out her lack of self-care to see him. But she had to respond to the call immediately, and that just leat to be a mere reason, never an excuse to why, she was in front of the doors to his chambers at that moment in the worst state possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to see me emperor Belos?” Lilith asked through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t wait long for an answer. “Yes, Lilith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Would you want me to come inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said slowly, “I have a mission for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A mission?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith considered his words, all in all, her last mission was delivered to her by Kikimora and it was but a wild goose chase, nothing to gain from it. What could the Emperor want to put on her that was worth calling her there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is about the kid under your sister’s protection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn?” Lilith whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware we haven’t gotten a lead on her whereabouts, as you are, I suppose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, we know the location of your sister’s little shack, don’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith tensed and closed her eyes. She did know about the place the ‘Owl House’ was located, any person with two fingers of forehead could find it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we don’t raid the place, because…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The security system my sister had placed on the house, a house demon that is… a nuisance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A single house demon has deflected us for years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith bit her lip, she had never really gotten into details of her attempts to arrest her sister, nor in the fact that nobody really cared enough to fill a report besides her. The Emperor never showed interest in the details so she had left out the most embarrassing ones, and the key factor of the lack of lethal force on the mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t want to spill blood… and with her sister as their enemy? It wouldn’t be Eda’s the one to stain the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t say any of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith took a shivering breath before answering. “I’m… I’m afraid yes, Emperor Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was glad there was a door between them when she heard something crash and shatter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Belos said, “that’s really something disappointing, Lilith…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no excuse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t… but you may have a way to fix your incompetence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pardon me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors opened and Lilith was able to see only darkness before something was shoved into her hands, she took the object—a small wooden box—and the doors slammed shut again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take that box to the knee, and bring me Slither beast fur… and blood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! But Emperor Belos, the Slitherbeast is-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One beast, a savage one,” he cut her off, “that will serve a better purpose, go on, and bring what I’ve asked of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stayed silent and looked down, closing her eyes, hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… Emperor Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something like a laugh from the other side of the door. “Good… and Lilith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep this a secret; I don’t want anyone knowing where you are going, understood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord,” Lilith said, turning her back on the door, “understood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow hummed happily while charging with the boxes of the store and making the inventory, even when the back of the place was so dusty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seem to be in a good mood,” Gus commented, taking a sip of his smoothie and leaning on one of the boxes with the chart</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was nice of him to help her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz rehab is going well?” He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going great!” Willow cheered. “She managed to finish the run just fine, I thought I’d had to cut it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You maybe should’ve, she is still getting back on her feet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but she managed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t mean she’ll do the same tomorrow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We work arms tomorrow,” she replied and smirked at him. “You could join us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Gus said and gaped at her. “I-I’d love to, but my dad needs me home early tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We train in the morning, Gus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Dang it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow giggled and put another box aside when she heard a crash. She looked at Gus and both of them ran to the front of the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is the kid?!” they heard a scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow peaked from the door to the main store and frowned when seeing coven guards in front of her dad, one of the windows was broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any idea of who you are talking about,” her dad replied, “and why did you smash my window?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you are lying!” the guard said and made a spell, summoning a scroll, in it, Willow saw a picture of Gus, Luz, and she in front of Hooty, the light of moon magic surrounding them. “Your daughter is friends with the kid of a criminal!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s hardly a crime!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fraternizing with a criminal!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her dad scoffed. “So the other kid chose her mother?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! I mean- You are obstructing justice, bring you, daughter, here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tensed and felt a hand on her arm, she looked down and Gus, and he was equally scared as her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t do anything like that,” Aaron said and made a spell circle; the glass around the ground started to float and flew so fast that she couldn’t follow it. “And you are about to leave, my, shop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow gaped at the sight of her dad threatening an Emperor’s guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You understand you are going against the law?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not the law,” her dad replied, “if you were, this town would be a den for criminals. You are just an overgrown baby that can follow orders, and you don’t even do that right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her dad took out a card and the guard backed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-! Where did you get that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From the district office, like everybody else,” her dad said, “now, get, the, hell, out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard stood still for a few seconds and then ran away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…” Gus whispered and Willow nodded, walking up to her dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pumpkin!” He said when he saw her. “…You heard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow nodded. “Every word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” Aaron sighed. “Don’t give them too much attention, they won’t be coming back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK, Mr. Park?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah Augusts, thanks,” he replied, “just a bit drained.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that you showed him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow saw her dad smirk and then he handed them the card.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aaron Park—Shop Owner</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?” Willow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is an assurance,” Aaron said, “coven head Lilith made them when she took the power years ago, if you get one, it means the emperor’s coven can’t get into your house or your store without your consent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, contrary to the Conformatorium guards, the Emperor’s coven is more like a private force, not the law.” Her dad chuckled. “These are made by the coven’s heads, and make sure you have protection, for shops, potions, and construction coven will be the ones abiding the law. After all, we all need to work to eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus scoffed. “They sure act like they are the law.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Aaron sighed, taking the card back. “That’s why everyone in ‘Bonesborough’ has one, even your father, Augustus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does? But he doesn’t own a shop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is a reporter, he needs one more than any of us. And his is abided by the healers and bards, so he has a bit more freedom,” he said, “free expression and something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at her dad and then at the broken window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had looked up to that coven!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much will the window cost?” She asked, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her dad looked at her and chuckled. “Less than you think, pumpkin, I have spares prepared since Luz moved out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because once you’ve met a Clawthorne, you know emotions come close,” he replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not trouble?” Willow asked with a little smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those too, but I’ve learned that there’s no one more loyal than Edalyn Clawthorne, no matter what you may think of her, and if what I’ve seen in Luz is real, she is just like her mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow blinked a few times and then exchanged a look with Gus, both teens smiling a giggling a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, she is just like her,” Gus commented and went to her dad. “Let me help with the cleaning Mr. Park!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed and uncrossed her arms. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“No point on thinking of this.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, walking to the back part of the store again. “I’m gonna finish my part!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow Kid, you OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just… fine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at the pathing and sweating Luz, she had gone back home after receiving the strict instructions for Luz’s care from Marcus and Aaron. King had been more than happy to stay back that morning, but his attitude when she got back was a pain, who would’ve known he was so clingy?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna get ya some tea, you stay on the couch,” Eda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz whined right away. “But I’m so sweaty! And I gotta see Amity later today…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can take a bath after you stop trembling, and I’m sure your girlfriend won’t mind you getting there a few minutes late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity is not my girlfriend!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled. “Could’ve fooled me! Now. Stay. Put!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda took her tea set and started to boil the water, she turned to see Luz reading absent-mindedly Hexside’s pamphlet. She would never understand the love the kid had for that place, but seeing her smiling and distracted from all the shit that was going on around her? She was a fan of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned again, preparing the tea, she looked over the leaves she had in hand, lavender, rose, mint, carmine and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ginger…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought of Lilith drinking it like it was the best thing in the universe, and her mind went back to her conversation with her sister a little more than a week ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda hadn’t talked to Luz about her nightmares ever since.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz still drank the potion every night, she still woke up tired and half functioning until Eda gave her a bit—really, almost nothing—of apple blood and the kid was running and humming again, her energy restored… but it wasn’t right for her to not be able to keep her mind under control and sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lilith would be scolding me so bad for taking so long.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, taking the valerians and preparing the drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She should’ve talked to Luz; she knew that, but hell! How is a person supposed to talk about… feelings? She had never done something like it before, not even with Lilith! It was always her sister the one who talked about those kinds of things and Eda just tagged along by repeating things Lilith said or just answering questions with the most punctual and direct response she could make.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was not a sentimental type of person.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why is that so frustrating?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, getting everything on a tray and walking back into the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Eda,” Luz said, “did you know Hexside was built on the bones of its rival school, one that was literally conquered?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smirked at the teen’s enthusiasm. “Of course I know, I went there, remember? The most harrowing period of my life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She set the tray on the small table and use magic to rise Luz from the couch, taking a seat and setting the kid back down, that time, Luz’s head was in her lap, Eda made a new spell, the cup of tea flew to her hand and she took a sip, getting her free hand on Luz’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid purred, as unbelievable as it may have sounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just can’t wait to be there…” Luz said with a smile, “can you imagine it? Me, in the halls of Hexside, learning new magic, studying and hanging with Gus, Willow, Amity…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dreams are so lame, Kiddo. And yet, you make them sound interesting,” Eda commented, taking a sip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You talk like you didn’t have good times at school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, but I was messing stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We read your archive, I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you know I was amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you made a lot of messes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed at that. Eda took another sip, and looked down to Luz, the girl’s eyes going over the pamphlet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that a good moment to ask?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you drinking… valerian?” Luz asked instead, breaking is her concentration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked a few times before looking down. “Yeah, why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s…It’s just.” Luz looked at her hands and fidgeted a little with her fingers. “That was the favorite drink of my </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Camila, my mom,” she explained, “she was always making a bit for me when my nightmares got harsh… or just when we moved. It…It helped me calm down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Eda looked down at the cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She liked the valerian tea, like any other, but when she thought about it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even know why I have it,” she said, taking another sip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t?” Luz asked, sitting up. “You do have a lot of stuff…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think I just liked it, I guess, it’s not like it grows here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, Owlbert just dropped it one time and I never got rid of it.” Eda smiled, making a new spell and getting a cup on Luz’s hand. “He still brings this kind of things every now and then… usually when I start to think about old stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned at her before taking a little sip. “You think is for a reason?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just likes the stuff,” Eda replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment the Palisman appeared and flew between them, taking its place on her shoulder. Eda giggled a little before giving the little owl a bit of the drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does like it,” Luz said, taking another sip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He also likes candies from your realm, so I don’t question what he does,” Eda commented before looking at Luz’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She should try, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda placed her cup on the table and took a deep breath. “Hey, Luz-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hoot-Hoot! Luz is almost time for you to see your friend!” Hooty said, opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz snapped at that and practically jumped out of the couch. “Amity! Oh, cramity! I need a shower!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched Luz down the cup of tea in a single motion and then run upstairs. She sighed when the teen was out of sight and glared in Hooty’s direction, but he had already closed the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So much for a heart to heart talk…” Eda whispered and finished her cup of tea, standing up, “well, is human treasure day, I’ll wait until she is done and we will talk it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had the time, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had run, like, a lot that morning. But nothing compared to the race she made to get to the market just five minutes late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Amity next to a stand, and Luz had said she wasn’t her girlfriend to Eda, and she wasn’t, certainly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But god, Amity was cute!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not like Willow, who Luz could call cute whenever, Amity was more than objectively cute, while Willow was conceptually cute. While Willow was as cute as a flower and you could always say it out loud, Amity was like…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t have words at that moment, and she didn’t have time either if she was honest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity!” She said, walking—running—towards her, “Luz is finally here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect two heads to pop out of nowhere. “Hey, Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Falling backward was certainly not part of her plan. The laughs from the twins’ part also weren’t something she wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And I thought these guys were cool?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, grimacing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edric, Emira!” Amity shouted when reaching them. “Stop bothering her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Amity closer that time, and she could only think:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uh, cute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Luz,” Amity said, offering a hand, “they insisted on coming, for some reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emira took that as her cue to hold Amity’s head and squeeze her cheeks. “Because we love you, baby sister!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity pushed her away almost immediately and fixed her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ve been extra protective and nice towards me lately, for, well, you know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I remember, library, right?” she replied, dusting herself. “Sweets were just the beginning then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently, they say they still want to make it up for it,” Amity said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And also make sure to point out that we still apologize, every day,” Edric said, his hands in a prayer gesture. “Thou, Mittens here thinks of the day a bit fondly, since you t-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In any case!” Amity cut her brother, taking out Luz’s book from her bag. “Here’s your book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what’d you think?” Luz asked while taking the book and leaning closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled at her, playing a bit with her hair. “It was, you know, fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked at that and opened the book, finding a notebook page on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So fine you drew yourself with Malingale, the mysterious ‘Soothsayer’?” Luz asked, exposing the little drawing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed, and Luz wasn’t sure she had seen something cuter before. She then felt the drawing evaporating in her hand, Amity’s spell already done. She giggled a little and hugged the book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is great!” Luz said, “Maybe we can even start an Azura book club at school when we are classmates!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity seemed surprised. “When we are what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m enrolling in Hexside, Amity. I thought we have talked ‘bout this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Yeah, I know, but… are you taking the abomination’s track then?” Amity asked, “you didn’t seem like the type, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I was planning to study all tracks at once so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All tracks? Luz, nobody studies all tracks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh; then I’ll be first!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled at her and shook her head. “I can’t convince you, can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed that time and got a strand of teal hair behind her ear. She then looked at Luz’s left arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK?” She asked, scooting a little closer to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes followed Amity’s, and Luz sighed. “As good as I can be, they took the cast off today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, at least now I can scratch it without a stick,” Luz joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess,” Amity said, “say, Luz, you remember that time we talked about…” Amity leaned closer to her and whispered. “…your powers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, today I’m going to practice for the new semester, and I’m going to the place I told you about,” Amity explained and backed off, “wanna come?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at Amity and nodded, a sudden heat going up to her cheeks, why was she getting flushed?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’d love to!” She said, “I just have to get Eda.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right! Then we’ll meet you at the border of town in say, two hours?” Amity asked, and Luz thought that she looked maybe a bit too excited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ears moved! How cute could Amity be?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>OK, Luz was panicking inside—her own ears were moving? Please let them not!—so maybe she didn’t have much to say about Amity’s attitude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great! Uh, see ya later, then,” Amity said, waving her goodbye and turning to her siblings. “What are you two grinning for?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned too and started to walk away, hugging the book in her arms maybe a bit too tightly. She waited until she couldn’t hear the Blight siblings to look back, and when she saw they weren’t close by, she started to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What. Have. She. Done?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t do magic at all at that moment! Her best was a small version of her powerful spells from before!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, Amity knew about the loss of her powers, but one thing was talking about it and the other one was showing her!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I need Eda!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, turning a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she crashed into someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry!” she rushed to say, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart stopped. An emperor guard, the soldier looked at her and then to a paper in his hand, Luz eyes went wide when recognizing her photo. She turned and ran, the guard screamed after her and she pushed herself to run faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How bad could her luck be?! She just had to find the worst people to crash into!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned two, three, four corners before she hid between two stands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her breathing was wild, her heart beating like crazy and her mind running over her situation a mile per second. She couldn’t defend herself without magic and with a busted arm! She had also just started her physical recovery for god’s sake!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked around from her small hideout. She recognized the street, she was just a few stands away from Aaron’s store!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to get there without-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you seen this kid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and hid again. She heard steps closing by and hugged her legs, trying to make herself as small as possible. She saw the boots and the cape, and the man stopped in front of one of the stands, asking the same question again. Nobody said they knew her, or they’ve seen her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the man stood there, Luz felt her brain rushing through all possible outcomes, and her hand went to her side-bag, she took out a small card, the ice glyph on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“If I could just…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a rattle, and her hiding spot got exposed, the Emperor’s soldier looking down at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, you have to come with me!” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reacted by closing her fingers over the glyph card and throwing it at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” She shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And something in the air changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes went wide when the spell card ate itself in the middle of the air and transformed into an ice block that smashed itself against the guard’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What…?” she whispered, looking at the unconscious guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a rattle and Luz stood up, looking at the side, people were starting to move, and she saw other white robes. More guards were coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to go!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved over the unconscious man and looked at the paper he had in his hands a second ago, it was a photo of her, but it had other things under it. She took it in a rush and ran away as fast as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t stop until she was back in the woods, there, she looked at the paper in her hand, the photo was from the ‘Covention’ apparently, and under it, she could read six things, her name, her age, who she was and what to do when finding her, along what to do if she resisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the last note captured her attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>-Her magic is weak, don’t fail to the Emperor-</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would they know my magic is…?” Luz whispered, and looked back at the town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The commotion had died and she was alone, contemplating the whole of ‘Bonesborough’ in silence. Her mind rushing over the words on the paper and what those could imply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed Eda, and soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda wasn’t happy with going outside the house after Luz had explained her lack of magic, and she was also really busy with really delicate stuff that she just had to leave in her room because Luz needed to go out at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, when magic and lack of it came out of her mouth, Eda had to give in, that didn’t mean she liked walking through the woods to get to the town after what Luz had shown her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was proud of the wanted sign, sure, but the information on it </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared</span>
  </em>
  <span> her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was apparently pulling and pushing favors, his movements now concentrated around Luz. Eda was sure she could take any stupid soldier that could come, but she couldn’t be around Luz all day and night, hell, she needed sleep!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there would be times like the one at that moment, when Luz would have to walk out. She couldn’t take that away!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had seen Luz fighting before, many times they did spar, and the kid had abilities, but now, without her bracelet and less than half her original resistance and stamina? Eda wouldn’t be taking her chances.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Good thing we are going to the knee…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, looking at the group of teens in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins were playing some stupid game with illusions while Luz was with short-stuff just ahead of her, the two girls were talking about something Eda stopped hearing after the fifth ‘that was so nice’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we there yet?” Luz asked, looking ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Short-stuff looked to the front, too. “Yeah! I can see the place!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched both smaller teens run to the peak and sighed, the enthusiasm was good, but she wasn’t sure it was appropriated with all the pressure on their backs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Luz shouted from the top and Eda chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to the knee,” she heard the other say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the earliest witches came to develop their magic!” The boy of the twins said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl followed closely. “They were drawn here by its natural power!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful!” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thou, it’s not without its dangers.” Eda walked closer and placed a hand on Luz’s head, she then pointed to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gasp from all four teens made her chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Slitherbeast,” Eda said, “don’t worry, if you don’t mess with them, they won’t mess with ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked ahead and heard a fart-like sound, followed by a grown and two screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz,” short-stuff said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edric.” That had to be the twin girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda maybe should learn their names.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got distracted from it, though. Her eyes went to a figure moving in the woods and she tensed, preparing her staff. She waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Had it been her imagination?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…No, she had seen something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, are you OK?” she heard, and felt a hand in her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Luz, the kid was worried about her, it was noticeable in her eyes, and it almost made Eda laugh. That kid was in more problems than any other person in the isles, and she still worried about her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m OK, kiddo.” Eda sighed. “You better concentrate on getting back in shape! I can’t be with you at all times, and I can’t trap you in the house either. I’ll be calmer if you can protect yourself again, soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stayed silent next to her but nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my girl.” Eda looked ahead and took a deep breath. “You go with the green trio, and I’ll prepare some wild magic lessons, just to be sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at her. “All right, I’ll be seeing you in a few hours then, mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll be waiting, kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched her go and smiled at the little panic Luz showed when talking to the smallest of the three brothers made Eda stop for a second, a small tug in the back of her mind made her tense and she saw a little flash of the same scene in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was late at night, and she saw Lily there, along with other people, and a blanket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda shook her head and turned around with her smile disappearing into a slight frown. She couldn’t daydream of the past at that moment! She had seen something, and she wasn’t taking any chances.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was… surprised, by how Luz’s magic worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had noticed, of course, that Luz didn’t use magic like the rest of the witches she had met, she had even explained it, that she learned wild magic since she had a problem with her bile-sac and couldn’t draw the spell circles, and also the way her spells worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Casting with paper, or with a special bracelet that was now gone, Amity had to give it to Luz; she was a girl full of surprises.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that also meant she couldn’t help her as she wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure you don’t want to try?” Amity asked, looking at Luz, training wand in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The device had a battery of magic bile on it, you just thought of the spell you wanted to use and drew the spell-circle, simple, and a good way of getting control of the image and power output you needed to make the spell on your own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and took that ‘lotus position’ again. “Is not how I learned, so I think I’ll stick with the basics for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and turned to continue blasting fireballs towards unsuspecting—because they weren’t alive… she thought—trees. It took her some solid ten minutes to be unable to concentrate and to give in and look back at Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was perfectly calm, contrary to all Amity had ever seen in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was breathing so slowly that it seemed like she wasn’t doing it at all. Her eyes were closed and her hands held together around a light spell, her entire body was tensed and the small ball floating in her palms was shaking a bit, like Luz was battling to keep it alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe she was, if what she had told her was true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity left her things in the small tent the twins had placed and walked to sit close to Luz, she didn’t seem to notice her, and Amity looked around. Edric and Emira were too busy playing on the snow downhill and Luz’s mom wasn’t anywhere near to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she took the chance to look at Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fur hat covered her ears, but Amity still had a look at her auburn hair. The dark chocolate like locks with small, fainted locks of cooper hair were somewhat amusing for her, Luz wasn’t a redhead, never, but the slight color made her justice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was so passionate about everything she did, red was a good color for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her skin, cinnamon—she had thought for a while about a name for the color—made a perfect contrast with the pure white of their surroundings. And Amity felt herself heating up when her eyes lasted, maybe a bit too long on Luz’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, Amity thought of Luz as cute, like, commonly cute, eye-catching cute, but that was an objective observation! Nothing else!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was weird, and messy, and sometimes stupid and full of bad jokes, and Titan, she had such horrible luck! Luz was definitely a bad choice to date, and Amity was a ‘Blight’, her parents expected her to find a suitable partner, so yeah, no dating, ever, not if she wasn’t looking for a rich, self-centered idiot who wouldn’t dare to talk about anything but work and money all the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And why was she thinking of all that at that moment?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Luz again, and all her arguments from before seemed stupid when she caught the little frown and how she stuck her tongue out her mouth while doing the effort with the spell…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fine, Luz was more than commonly cute, she would give that up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been looking at me for a while,” Luz said, and Amity noticed for the first time the slight blush in the girl’s cheeks. “Is there anything on my face?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity coughed a bit, looking away. “N-No, it’s just… I… I thought you looked nice, when you kept quiet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That hurts me,” Luz said, opening her eyes and letting the spell disappear. “Are you saying you don’t like the sound of my voice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” she rushed to say and Luz laughed. “…You are messing with me, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little,” Luz said, raising her right leg and hugging it. “What were you thinking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That you are absurdly cute.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, and managed to hold back. “Nothing important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were staring, it seemed important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it wasn’t.” Amity looked away. “What happened to your mom anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shrugged and looked around. “Don’t know, she should be here by now though…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an explosion and the ground shook under their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked down; she found Edric and Emira looking at her. They seemed as surprised as them. Amity turned towards Luz, and found her staring with wide, shivering eyes towards the other direction, she followed her gaze and found something she never expected to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Emperor’s coven troops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are they doing here?” Amity asked, and walked to stand next to Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to break some kind of trance Luz was in, since she turned and ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared after her, and then looked back to the troops; her mind took a second to make the connection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s mom was a criminal, Luz was a person of interest for the coven.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Damn it, Titan!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought, running after Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mittens, what’s happening?” Edric shouted, running towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emira was close behind. “What’s with Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The emperor’s troops are here!” Amity responded when they were close enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both twins cocked their heads to the side. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz’s mom is a wanted criminal!” Amity practically barked the words. “We need to find them and get away from here before someone sees us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They seemed to get that quick, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, you get your training wand and your books, the tent is not important, we’ll look for Eda,” Emira said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz ran into the forest by the west,” Edric told her, “once you get your things, go after her, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and sprinted towards her little tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her things weren’t hard to find or pack, she was after Luz in no time at all. Her footprints were still fresh, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t matter why the troops were up there anymore, she just knew those were bad news!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity ran for two, maybe five minutes before she saw Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was surrounded by troops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are under arrest!” One of them shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t done anything!” Luz replied, getting her hand to the side-bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity hid behind a tree with her eyes wide open and her heart pounding like crazy. What was that? Luz was being arrested?! But they were just asking around less than a week ago!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have multiple charges for different crimes!” The soldier said and Amity wanted to scoff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was actually acquired, her mom was a criminal, and Luz was a wild witch, the law marked her as a criminal, she was supposed to be imprisoned, Amity knew that, it was how things worked, the rules she was training to follow and impose-!</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“The emperor’s coven is not the law.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s words came to her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s last conversation with the coven’s head had been confusing, but Amity had done her research after it and after talking to Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Conformatorium guards were the law, and the Emperor’s coven was there to enforce the Emperor’s will, but they didn’t hold any jurisdiction over the criminals…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Then, why were they doing that? Why were they haunting the Clawthornes?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s mind stopped working when she heard Luz scream. Her heart racing and her breathing becoming shallow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why the idea of Luz getting hurt did hurt her so bad?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been fraternizing with a criminal!” One of the troops’ soldiers said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s my mother! You think I chose her or what?!” Luz said back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another voice came then. “You escaped prison!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You arrested me without charges!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You resisted arrest!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t guilty of anything and you just wanted to put me in a cell!” Luz’s voice was strained. “Why don’t you tell me what all this is really about?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity tensed. What was Luz talking about?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t broken any of your rules, not a single one!” Luz said, “So why are you trying to capture me?! What does your stupid boss want with me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity waited, but there was no response for a while, her curiosity beat her and she looked from her hideout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the troops had chained Luz, and she was fighting against a shackle on her neck… she wasn’t breathing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor gave us the order to take you under any circumstances,” the apparent leader of the group said, “he also said it didn’t matter if we thought you did nothing wrong, the Titan ordered your capture!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...T-That… That’s… so… me-messed up…” Luz managed to say. “Why… why is his word… l-law a-and mine… n-not i-important?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes went wide open. Luz had just…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is the Emperor and you are a criminal!” the troop responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W…What… are m-my… c-crimes…?” Luz said, and her voice was fading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s mind ran over the list, fraternizing with a criminal, who was her mother, she couldn’t choose there, escaping prison, for a crime she didn’t commit, even in those cases the warden had invented charges before, she, as any other witch knew that much. Resisting arrest, when she wasn’t even supposed to be arrested?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz didn’t do anything wrong.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought and her hands gripped her practice wand more tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who cares?” The soldier said, and Amity stopped breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she whispered, looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The troops were laughing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor ordered your capture, and we are his hands and feet, we don’t ask questions.” The soldier pulled the chain and Luz choked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another soldier talked then. “Being part of the emperor’s coven is just that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity froze and stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Being part of the emperor’s coven is being the best of the best…!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>At being a puppet, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Just the best witches get in it!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Being the best seemed to be heartless and void.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“The emperor’s coven is the top achievement in magic!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>…No, they were just a bunch of bullies!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now,” the ‘leader’ said, “go to sleep so we can deliver you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not in my guard you, jerks!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, glaring at them all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a huge spell circle, the battery would dry out, but she didn’t care at that moment. The circle shook and transformed, the massive fireball she made took a new form, slowly but surely, Amity smiled at the huge flaming… bunny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wished it was something threatening, but there wasn’t any time to complain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go…” She whispered, and her spell was off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mass of fire bounced around, she dived under a bush, hearing the soldiers scream. She looked at them over a bush and saw them being hit almost immediately, the ones lucky enough to react could barely defend themselves, the chains holding Luz disappeared one by one, until she was free and all the soldiers were screaming or knocked out by the sheer force of her spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leader had run away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is what I want for my future?” Amity whispered, before her eyes landed on Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was unconscious on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity shouted, and ran towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got next to her and kneeled, Luz was… wasn’t breathing?! Those guys had…?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity moved fast, she placed her ear on Luz’s chest and listened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pulse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed in relief, but didn’t relaxed, a pulse but not breathing, she needed to act, but… but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, screw it!” Amity groaned and opened Luz’s coat, the girl had her casual hoody under it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She remembered some things from the healer’s visits during baby class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cleared the respiratory ways—or whatever those were called—and got Luz’s neck straight, she then opened her mouth and covered her nose. Amity hesitated for a second, maybe two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And slammed her mouth over Luz’s, blowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and got away from her, took air again, and repeated, twice, thirds, fourths, fifths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz coughed before she reached the sixth time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity let out a shaking breath and smiled, looking down at Luz. She was alive! She was breathing and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Fine?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get away from me!” Luz shouted and rolled away from her. “Stay away from me, I... I don’t want to… I didn’t want to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!” Amity shouted, getting closer to her, “Luz is me, Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay away!” Luz screamed and got her hand in her side bag. “I didn’t want to bother ya! Leave me alone! Please!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes snapped open when she saw Luz’s eyes, there was no shine on them, but there was a faint glow, a dark velvet red ring of light surrounding her irises.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew it instantly; Luz wasn’t seeing </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but someone else… someone who had hurt her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Is OK! Is me, is Amity!” she tried again, closing the gap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it didn’t seem to work. “Go away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t try to get to her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her spell—the giant fire bunny—never stopped bouncing, and it was in that moment that Amity felt the slight vibrations from the ground; she looked up and saw the worst thing possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An avalanche.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity screamed and jumped towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got one of her ‘cards’ outside her side bag. Amity slapped her hands to the side, Luz’s finger touched the glyph slightly and it shined, an ice wall grew between them and the avalanche.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then there was darkness, and Luz screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t want to bother anyone! She didn’t want to be part of it from the start!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why were they screaming at her again? What had she done wrong?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zoey, leave me alone, please!” Luz pleaded, and shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt something holding her face. “You are a freak, and you sicken me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop…! Stop… please…” Luz cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The feeling was gone, but then she felt something different, she felt… heat, horrible heat. She was trapped, a small space, heat coming from all around her, asphyxiating her! She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move, and simply shaking hurt so much!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get me out! Get me out! Get me out!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, desperately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt to move; like something, burning was hitting her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt to breathe; it was like getting fire in her lungs!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt to think; like every word cost her a hit from something invisible!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop, it, stop it… </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop it!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she pleaded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was all gone, she was now in the middle of a clear, and she saw mist, woods. Her eyes darted down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was restrained by tree branches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz… you know what and who you are…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>voice said, “you belong with me… why do you fight it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t talk, her mouth was covered. She tried to fight against the restraints, but it was useless, she couldn’t move an inch!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt her left arm breaking, and then she felt it being crushed. But she couldn’t scream, she could only cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t fight your destiny…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is not-not who I am…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, something wet and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot </span>
  </em>
  <span>rolling down her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are my kid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are mine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Something burned in her arm, not like the heat, not like the wound, it was a different kind of burn, and it was almost like something was taking place in her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was getting inside her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Belos voice came. “You are…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…That wasn’t Belos voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz finally felt it. A warm touch on her cheeks, not like the heat from before, it wasn’t hot… just warm, soothing in a way. She leaned into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Please wake up!” that voice again, who was it? “Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was she desperate?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a ‘she’, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Please, I need you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who was she?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! It’s me!” she said, “I’m here with you, I’m not going to hurt you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know… I know you won’t…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, leaning more into the touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, please… please wake up… I can’t do this alone…” she heard a little cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the warm feeling was around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was able to focus again, she was able to see more than his mask, feel more than pain, she was in her body again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was cold, but she didn’t felt it, she was warm, something wrapped around her. She also felt a subtle scent of… perfume? It was nice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw then, the teal color, and felt the locks on her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…A…Amity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had seen Amity make numerous expressions, but Luz never thought that Amity with tears on her eyes and utter hope and happiness would be such a beautiful view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are back…” Amity said while she sighed, “you are back…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Where did I go…?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the flash of all the things from before shook her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mierda</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” she muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t seem to care for her Spanish. “I was worried, you know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and then to their surroundings. There was snow everywhere, they were buried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” she said, “What happened…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The emperor’s troops ambushed you, they got you chained and… and... you fell unconscious… y-you…you weren’t breathing and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz would’ve been making assumptions on what that attitude and story from Amity’s part could imply any other moment, but in that precise instant, her mind went back to the troops, and then to Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was still out there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gotta get out here!” She said, turning and smashing her fingers against the snow, “Eda is in danger!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz you just came back from a panic attack!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t be wondering over it, Eda needs me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity hugged her from behind, but she didn’t stop hitting the snow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I need you!” Amity shouted, “I need to you be fine, so please! Stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t, I don’t have my powers! Eda needs to be warned, I need to be with her o-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you do have your powers!” Amity said and Luz stopped hitting the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s grip got stronger on her waist. “When the avalanche happened, you touched that card you showed me before… it was a moment, you didn’t hold it like you did when we practiced before... but with that touch, you made a wall that protected us… we are alive because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes went wide open and she looked down. Her magic had worked by just… touching the glyph? But that didn’t make any-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…That time on the market.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had just touched the glyph then, too. But the spell was more powerful than before, it wasn’t like when she did it with her bracelet, but it was more than what she could do back in the human realm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was it just… touching it, enough?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got her hand inside the bag and she got a light glyph card out. She didn’t run her magic through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just tapped it, something pulled from inside her, but it didn’t reach the outside of her, it just went back, like a little bubble that exploded before becoming big enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then…then the card just… Ate itself and turned into a big light ball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I can’t believe it…” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was something so stupid, so simple, and yet so amazing! She still had her powers, she still had her powers!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t… believe it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up, Amity stopped holding her. Luz looked at the light until her eyes burned and she felt like crying for more than the hurt eyes. She could still do magic, she could still take care of herself…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are my kid…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos voice and face flashed in her mind and she felt how all the peace from before vanished like smoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t safe, she wasn’t safe, she wasn’t-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz,” Amity whispered, “how is this possible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz dispelled the light, and dropped to the ground. She couldn’t… she couldn’t find the words, her throat, it, it hurt her, she couldn’t… talk? She couldn’t tall, she couldn’t talk! She couldn’t say anything, not at all, not even a bit! And her mind kept going back to Belos, to the forest. The clear, the branches, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain </span>
  </em>
  <span>her bracelet, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>heat!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was trapped…</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Luz?” Amity placed her hand on Luz’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You were born special.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz snapped, hitting Amity’s hand. “Get away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She backed off until her back was hitting the snow trapping her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it happened, she wasn’t with Amity, she wasn’t under snow…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was in the woods, with Belos, again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tree branches held her still, he walked closer by the second, and she was paralyzed, her body unable to move even an inch, her eyes darting back and forth. Her bracelet burned her, the magic wanted to go out, to break free from her, to chase after the man… thing… monster and get him to back off!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was being ripped from her and it burned!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz couldn’t breathe; the magic was filling her, erasing her senses to the point where she could only feel how a pair of flaming invisible claws dug their way through her ribcage to her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl, her magic was taking over her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Come on Luz! Please react! We just got over this, Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a pair of hands on her face. Not Belos’ hands, these ones were… soft, smaller… kinder…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, please, look at me!” That voice… Amity’s voice, Amity was there again, “Luz, please, I can’t solve this on my own…! I… I need you, OK? I need you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was closing the distance; Luz couldn’t move… there was something so cold in her chest…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t fight back…” Luz whispered, “I can’t do anything…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can do </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I know you can!” Amity’s voice said, “And if by any horrible chance there’s something you can’t do, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’ll </span>
  </em>
  <span>do it, together! So please, Luz! Please, just look at me! You stupid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos started to vanish from her mind, the forest, the claws, the heat, the pain… it all just…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just went away, slowly, and almost mockingly, but it… it went </span>
  <em>
    <span>away.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The heat in her left arm remained a bit longer, but she then felt… fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt… safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here, Luz,” Amity’s voice echoed in her head, “I’m here, and so are you… so please… please… I need you, and I don’t like having to say that so much…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz finally gave in to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was on the snow, the cold eating her alive, a group of jerks chasing her, Eda nowhere around, and she was trapped under the snow with Amity hugging her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Amity?” Luz whispered, moving her hands to hold the other girl’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is all so complicated with you?” The other witch said, separating from her. “Thank you, Titan! You reacted faster this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You spaced out, and… yeah,” Amity said while letting her go, “you wouldn’t respond… you were shaking, and I didn’t… I didn’t know what to do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Well, you figure it out, twice,” Luz said, looking down, “you got me to react… thank you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. Luz was being held by Amity, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>holding </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity, and she wasn’t suffering because of it… she wasn’t uncomfortable or weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was… It was nice. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine </span>
  </em>
  <span>with it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I wasn’t sure it’ll work, to be honest, it was kinda a reach…” Amity talked and made Luz’s focus to be on her; she giggled and looked down, noticing Amity’s gloveless hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your hands?” Luz asked, holding them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked down and sighed. “You didn’t react with the gloves on, so… I tried without them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you crazy?! You could’ve lost a finger!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah? We-Well, if I didn’t make you react I could’ve died!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are still on that part!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t want to die alone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They glared at each other for a second—maybe less—and then they both broke into a wild laugher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All that discussion was so stupid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” Amity said, holding her hand. “You were saying some… things, while you were out of yourself...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed; she remembered it all, sadly enough. And she had an idea of what she had said-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is Zoey?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked a few times. “Come again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is Zoey? You repeated that name a lot… you, you seem to suffer…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had suffered, and, ugh! Couldn’t she just drop Belos thing? It was far less complicated than to go and try to explain her childhood—one year before—trauma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity, I know you must have questions,” Luz said, looking at the other girl’s eyes, “but right now we need to get out of here… I, I promise I’ll tell you later, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at her death in the eyes for what seemed like hours, but it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK...” she finally said, “but we are still under a lot of snow, and I don’t know how are we gonna get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well Amity, you don’t have to worry,” Luz said, smiling, “Luz is here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, dying alone is not a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hush you,” Luz playfully hit her in the arm. “Now, let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head and got her gloves back on. “OK, how are you planning on doing that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked and searched into the pockets. She might not have her bracelet anymore. But Amity just helped her to understand that that didn’t mean she was defenseless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind went back to Belos and she shivered, her body wasn’t listening to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not the time.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, and shook her head. “I’ll be taking care of it,” she said, getting a piece of paper from her side bag. “Just hope what we saw wasn’t a one-time thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>”I cannot believe you did this, Edalyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were the one trying to make that thing bleed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda dived under a new blast of goo and locked gazes with her sister. Lilith was scared, but a lot more upset if the glare she sent her proved anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was a simple mission!” Lilith said, placing a barrier spell. “What were you even doing on the ‘Knee’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda put up her own barrier and turned to Lilith. “I was helping my kid! She’s been having problems, big ones since the idiot of Belos attacked her, and now all his stupid troops are following her around!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The emperor’s troops are here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped her next response there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t bring ‘em?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith shook her head. “This was a solo mission, nobody should be here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well hell damn it! Your coven is here, and about to bust my child and I’m trapped in dealing with this stupid beast with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to come at me while screaming!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to hold a knife near the beast’s teeth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a strident roar from the Slitherbeast, and Eda roared back at it, she dispelled her barrier and made a new spell-circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t keep yourself away from trouble, can you?!” Lilith screamed, making a spell circle herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?! You are the one attacking an ancient beast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The slither beast roared and both sisters looked at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You stay out of this!” They screamed, and blasted pure magic bullets towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic didn’t hit immediately, though. Both masses converged in the middle of the air… fusing into a bright green mass of magic that threw itself against the beast; its impact hit the Slitherbeast fully on the head and knocked it against a wall, the beast got out cold. Eda then turned to Lilith, who was glaring at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We… fused magic?” Lilith said, groaning, “Really? After years of trying now is when it worked?! Ugh, give me back my sophomore year-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda growled and closed the distance between her and her sister, holding the other woman by the cape-coat she was wearing over her dress, Lilith stopped talking and stared at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, spill it!” Eda shouted, “What does Belos want with Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith surprised face turned into one of concern. “I…I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Edalyn!” Lilith freed herself from Eda’s hands. “He doesn’t say anything to me lately! He has been holed up in his chambers since the day he went to your house!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s ears perked at that. Belos was… </span>
  <em>
    <span>hiding?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“And before that, since the moment Kikimora talked to him about me trying to know about Lucelyn, he just stopped talking to me! He is obsessed and I don’t know why!” Lilith said and looked away, “You think I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get to Lucelyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda crossed her arms. “You pretty much lick his butt so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do that because he terrifies me, Edalyn.” Lilith looked back at her. “Emperor Belos is much more horrible than you think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda held her sister’s gaze. And the real resolution and fear she saw on them made her shiver. Lilith haven’t gotten scared when she faced a killer witch—Eda had been around by some scams—or when she was in the middle of a trial where they were practically blasting fire in her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was scared by just thinking of Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how to help you, Edalyn. I don’t know what to do anymore,” Lilith said, dropping to the ground. “Lately I’m not even sure I’m doing the right thing anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whadya mean? You are on the right side of the law, aren’t ya?” Eda asked, kneeling in front of her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith chuckled. “I’m above the law, Edalyn, if that reasoning is what you want, I could hit a guy on the street and call it necessary because his face was ‘disrupting public order’ and everybody would be fine with that, they may not like it, but they couldn’t complain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can do that?! Hell, the coven thing is a better deal than that I thought!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If telling you that would convince you of joining, I would’ve said it a long time ago,” Lilith said, smirking, and Eda laughed. “But Edalyn… lately I’m just doing Belos whims, getting him things, investigating stupid rumors, incarcerating people for nothing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dork guys did that last one from before so-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn,” Lilith cut her off, “this is more than simple likes, chores, or whims, Belos is set on capturing Lucelyn, and I don’t know why, but I know he is not stopping until he gets her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda frowned and stood up, looking back, she could hear steps closing by, and also screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is going to have to take me down if he wants her,” she said, and looked back at the Slitherbeast. “If you wanted its blood, it’s better to move, I think I broke a few teeth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at the beast and sighed. “You sure did more than that. Who would’ve thought being a mother would make you even more dangerous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither.” Lilith stood up and looked at her. “They troops can’t see me, so-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m alone in this, I know,” Eda sighed and turned towards the commotion. “Bail already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“….Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to do everything in my power to uncover what’s happening. I promise you that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t look back at her. She just hopped on staff and flew towards the incoming people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect to see the emperor’s troops fighting against the twins, nor the kids managing to fool them with illusions to hit one another. She smiled at them from the air, the kids at the very least knew how to defend themselves. Eda scanned a bit more the place, her pulse blasted when she saw Luz was nowhere around.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where are you, Kid?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Timber!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look down!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes went wide and she looked up. She saw two figures pass over her head and land in a small mountain of snow. She stared until two heads poked out of the snow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are free!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You almost killed us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not under an avalanche anymore, are we?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t believe it. “Luz!” She shouted, letting herself fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the two stumbling figures came out of the snow and looked at her. Smiling and raising both hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those words were all the confirmation she needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda landed and ran towards Luz, trapping her in a hug and practically raising her from the ground. Luz laughed all the time and </span>
  <em>
    <span>crushed </span>
  </em>
  <span>her with her arms in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo! What in the name on the Titan happened?!” Eda asked, separating from Luz. “What happened to your teeth?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz seemed surprised and licked her teeth. “Uh?! I broke ‘em?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Short-stuff came along pretty fast. “You did, when you were out of it you just closed your mouth so hard… I honestly thought you’ve noticed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t, what I’m I gonna do now?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are spells to fix it,” short-stuff said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have you set and done once we are away from here, Kiddo,” Eda said, patting her on the head. “But how did you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! A little help ‘round here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda turned and saw both twins running in their direction, the emperor’s guards hot on their toes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to go away! Fast!” the twin boy said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and prepared her staff. “I’ll see what I can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, mom!” Luz said, and got her hand in her side-bag, “I got it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Luz wait!” The other girl said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got one of her cards out and tapped it, throwing it to the ground when the twins reached them. Eda felt the ground shake for a second before an ice pillar </span>
  <em>
    <span>erupted</span>
  </em>
  <span> from under them, throwing all the five of them off the mountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda screamed in both, delight and surprise. “Luz! Your powers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Luz said, and she moved in the air, hugging ‘Short-stuff’ who was next to her screaming siblings. “Amity here helped me figure things out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never planned on this!” the girl said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed hard and looked ahead, Luz spell had given them quite the jump, and they were even falling down the kneecap, the sea looking closer and closer with every passing second. She looked at the teens and guessed she should probably deal with the landing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on tight, kids!” She said, and blasted water under them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They slid in the current of her spell and got to the water surface with a pretty smooth dive, even if she said so herself. Eda broke the surface first and watched all the teens do the same seconds later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you have to do it like that?!” Amity asked her, “You could’ve stopped our fall with a levitation spell!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And take away the fun?!” Eda shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my mom!” Luz shouted, and Eda laughed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz got her magic back, and she was smiling a lot again while playing with that Blight kid. Eda looked at them and her smile became calmer.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Amity Blight…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, “I’ll be doing some good remembering that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone else felt something touching their legs?!” the twin boy asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda felt something doing just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Swim to shore!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed when she entered the palace and there was no sign of upcoming troops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was safe in that aspect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and moved inside, she passed the barracks, the dining room, and the multiple levels of maze-like corridors. All the time her mind went back to Edalyn, to her behavior and the cause of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith wanted to laugh, or cry, maybe both, at her sister’s growth.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t believe she is a mother before I became one…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought, turning a corner and almost crashing into a floating tower of books. “Wow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That voice got her tensed and she looked down, Kikimora’s yellow and red-eye practically piercing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora…” she said, “new interest in knowledge, I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s eyes went over the spines of the books and she raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why so many books on curses, maternity, and astrology?” she asked, “Planning a soon to be mother celebration, are we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are not for me,” Kikimora responded, “Emperor Belos had requested them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emperor Belos?” Lilith repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m as surprised as you yourself. I don’t understand it, but he asked me to deliver them immediately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith nodded and moved aside. “I’m also on my way to him. May I accompany you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do as you see fit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked in silence, Lilith with her mind running over the possibilities of what having those books delivered to him could mean in Belos head. She didn’t understand what was happening within the walls of the palace anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors of his chambers were in front of her soon enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emperor Belos,” Kikimora said, “Lilith and I had brought what you asked from us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no answer. Lilith exchanged a look with Kikimora.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the door swung open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come in…” Emperor Belos voice ordered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith waited for Kikimora’s lead. The small demon did as she was ordered after a second, and she followed, the room was completely dark, not allowing anything to stand out of the black void it practically composed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got what I asked for… Didn’t you, Lilith?” his voice came from all places and none at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shivered and moved her hand, exposing the flask. “I did, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith tried not to act scared, but when the flask got snapped out of her hand, she couldn’t avoid flinching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora, those are all the books you found?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora’s voice came out slightly shaking. “Yes, my lord.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…They’ll suffice…” he said, “for now, that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stood there, not daring to say a word, the air in the room was… weird, something floating that made her uneasy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord, if I may ask, and this is not intending to invade your privacy…” Kikimora said, “why do you need these books?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a silence, and Lilith feared they would be dismissed in a, not at all pleasant way. But there was a small chuckle and then a vibration on the air, Lilith felt the heat of the room get drained and the chill made her shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she saw red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two familiar with the… ‘magical stain’ on newborns?” he asked, moving his staff around, the metallic object holding the red crystal orb shined with a terrifying glint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is not when the magic of one of the parents is so strong it affects the appearance of the child?” Kikimora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos chuckled again. “You’re certainly right, Kiki, that’s what it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith felt something holding her from the back of the head and </span>
  <em>
    <span>pulled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been seeing… red, lately,” he whispered, and that time Lilith felt his breathing on her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R…R-Red…?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… a really, lovely, and nostalgic shade of red…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being fully honest, going back in the ‘Owl House’ after that day was practically a dose of liquid bliss for Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, she didn’t expect the mess King had managed to make.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Eda was looking at the stupid little fur-ball sleep on the couch after having Luz cleaning the kitchen and the ‘Owl Lady’ herself had to clean the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her hands!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and looked at her reflection. Her gem had that little black spot she couldn’t get away now. She had downed a three-days-worth ration of Elixir, and she had barely managed to control the curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was getting way worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and moved towards the stairs, she needed sleep, and she wasn’t going to get any down there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a simple spell, her clothes were changed and she yawned raising both hands in the air, stopping when passing next to Luz’s room door. She stared at the thing for a while before deciding to open it a little, Luz was in her ‘sleeping bag’ as she had called it, her eyes closing slowly, just for her to snap them open the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” she said finally dully opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid looked back at her. “Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong Kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and shook her head, she then showed her a broke flask. Eda recognized it immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King’s little war got me out of potion,” Luz said, “And I’m not looking forward to having nightmares tonight…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked around the room for a while, before Lilith’s words came to her. She looked back to Luz and repressed a groan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, that time, she would have to make an effort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Kid,” Eda said, closing the door behind herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up to her. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you are not a baby, and well…” Eda swallowed, why was that so difficult? “…I… I remembered something I used to do when nightmares wouldn’t leave me alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it magical?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed at that. “No, no… but is no less special, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at Luz and took a deep breath before walking up to her, and dropping next to the teen, laying next to her, Eda pulled Luz close and place a hand on her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t make this awkward,” she responded, “just, try to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded. “…Are you… going to stay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a long silence and Eda closed her eyes. Was that really supposed to do anything? Maybe Lilith had gotten a stupid idea, maybe Luz didn’t want any of that, she had just made something unnecessary, she should stand up, she should go to her room and make sure Luz forgot about it on the morning, she-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a pair of arms holding her close and tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at Luz, the teen was clinging to her sweater like she was about to fall from a risk. Eda moved the hand on her head, brushing Luz’s hair with her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, mom…” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fell asleep a few minutes after that and Eda just… watched her, as creepy as it may sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That kid was something special.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had so much on her shoulders, and Belos presence just kept adding things to her plate. Eda wondered how Luz could be so strong, how could she bear with so much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m so proud of you, Luz,” she whispered, “not everybody is as strong as you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda caught a shine on the floor and looked towards it. A small bag rest on a corner, barely visible thanks to moonlight, she made a spell and got it closer, looking at it carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was… it was the necklace from when Luz first appeared in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you have these, kiddo?” Eda whispered, looking at the metal chain…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the shards of Luz’s bracelet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought Aaron had kept them…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda glared at the stuff, her mind rushing over what those things meant, what they could still remind Luz about. She closed the bag and got it in her hair. The bad taste on her mouth at the sight prevailed for a long time…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least until she felt Luz moving slightly in her arms. “Don’t go…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked several times before giggling a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not going anywhere, kiddo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, Eda relaxed, and being quite honest? She didn’t remember when she fell asleep that night, the only thing she could remember was the heat coming from Luz, the rhythmical breathing in harmony with hers, and those little hands gripping her clothes to keep her close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t wake up because of nightmares that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The teeth thing? It can actually happen, I don't know the specific situation, and I could be a bit wrong, but I do know that under the stress trauma situation, you can actually break them, so that's something new for you! I can be wrong, anyway, and this could be only in the case where the teeth are weak, so if any of you do know about it, I'll be happy to listen to the real explanation and not wild guesses I have from medical magazines and some other stuff my family (nurse and medicine student) have.<br/>Leaving aside my probably and possibly inaccurate medical stuff.<br/>We have Belos plotting! Yes, yes, It's all coming together! I'm sorry I didn't do obvious references here, but the thing needed to be a bit more serious~<br/>Ok, so! The card Willow's dad showed it's actually from somewhere, I believe is from a story I read sometime, but it was a mafia deal (not sure if it came from manga or from books) its a mark about them being protected by the 9 main covens, so if the emperor were to mess with them, the covens would retaliate.<br/>I've been building up my stuff, and I'll explain it if you want to know what kind of stuff is in here, just ask in the comments, if you don't feel like listening to me, that's fair enough in itself.<br/>Lilith and Kikimora have a hard time, don't you think?  Yeah, kinda hard to relate to the little one, but still.<br/>We had Lumity! CPR is not a kiss, but give and take, give and take.<br/>Not many other things to say here, Luz got magic, Eda took a choice, we had a bit of trauma (much trauma) and we got fluffy cute moments that believe when I say, I'm not letting go!<br/>Also, who else expected the flaming bunny? Come on, don't be shy, who guessed it when Amity started her spell? <br/>Now, I'm done, it's fairly early so if you comment, I'm sure replay fast, be free to comment on anything!<br/>I'll take criticism, since I need to improve so the stories I give you will become better and better!<br/>A~ny~wa~y~<br/>G_U out~ peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Hexside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After her adventures in the knee and recovering her magic, Luz's greatest dream since coming to the 'Boiling Isles' finally becomes a reality, and Hexside opens its doors to her!<br/>But now, with Belos plotting on the sidelines, what could be waiting for her in the hallowed halls of the magic school? And it's Belos the only threat that the 'Half-Human Witch' will have to face?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've been all week around this chapter, trying to get the internet to fix it, and once again I couldn't even consider the idea of beta-ing it to remain punctual with you ppl, so, here we are!<br/>Now, I must point out that this story is fiction and I hope it'll always remain that way, thank you very much, I do not internet to expose any kind of connection to the real-life occurrence, we all need to escape from that for a little while every day, don't we? So please consider this one of the possible escapes.<br/>Last week I committed the mistake of forgetting to add the playlist to the chapter (I did Later, but I guess some of ya didn't catch it, you can go check it now!) and I don't plan to do that today!<br/>Playlist (As before, remember this are the songs I listened to write, not necesarrily they hold relation to the plot): Whazt can I do for you -  Steven Universe soundtrack / Don't you forget about me - Breakfast club (movie) / Break down the walls - Ross Lynch (Austing &amp; Ally soundtrack)<br/>To play a bit, which part would you guess each song helped me write? you can ignore this, I'm used to think that don't work anyway.</p><p>Also, this chapter has injuries descriptions and mentions of Bullying, so please be careful when reading, I wouldn't want yu to feel bad, please, be careful, I repeat, be careful when reading, love ya all and hope you are careful!</p><p>Disclaimer: Nor 'The Owl House' no it's characters or the song's listed above belong to me, all credit must be given to their creators and owners.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Every day, every choice, a part of us dies; just so a new one can be born. That is the essence of change; that is how a person grows.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure this is a good idea?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, you can’t stay in here all your life, and ‘sides, we already talked to Bump, he won’t leak where you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and looked down at her clothes, she was wearing a pure white version of Hexside’s uniform, even though it was supposed to be the same, she had added a small side bag for all her cards, the thing was covered in little stamps of bunnies, vines and paper clips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had also packed aid-bands, some bandages and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you gotta move!” Eda said and Luz took a deep breath, placing a hand on her side bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All her friends had helped her fix it after the failed—successful, maybe?—trip to the knee when the avalanche had torn it open, and if she was honest? It was the only source of calm she could get at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if the troops showed up? What if the students get in trouble because of me? Or-?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda placed both hands on Luz’s shoulders. “Kiddo, you need to relax, OK? Bump may be old, be he is a decent witch, and his powers can protect Hexside fine enough, also, if you keep it calm and stay out of being too much of ‘goody loose shoes’ all will be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and covered her face with one hand; the days that passed since she came back from the mountain had gone way too fast for her liking. The awkward period when her teeth needed to fix themselves, or her super awkward physical therapy to get her hand working again were the only times she felt like the time was against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked outside the ‘Owl House’ and sighed, walking to find Amity waiting for her on the edge of the forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That kid is responsible,” Eda said, “now, off you go, you can’t be late on your first day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and looked back at Eda. “But-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts,” Eda cut her, patting her on the head. “You’ll be fine kiddo, I promise you that, just… take care, OK? I’ll go for ya when the classes end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…OK,” she said, “bye mom, are we reading tonight again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled, pushing her finally out the doorway. “As all the other nights.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled and nodded one last time and turned to jog towards Amity. The teal hair witch smiled at her and Luz tried to avoid thinking too much about how cute was the way Amity brushed a lock of hair behind her ear when she closed the distance between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” She greeted while stopping next to her, “thanks for doing this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled. “No problem, I’m also concerned with what kind of problem you’d get into by going alone to school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could’ve Willow doing this if it’s much of a burden to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I’m in route anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity, you live at the other end of the town.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked when the blush appeared on Amity’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that!” she rushed to say. “But I like to round the town… and this is an excuse to leave Edric and Emira behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course,” Luz said, looking to the sky, “it’s just that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned and practically sang her next words. “I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She broke into a fit of laugher and Amity tried to push her, Luz took the momentum to link their arms together and pulled her closer. She was far enough from the ‘Owl House’ and there was nobody around, King and Eda wouldn’t be holding it against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me go!” Amity said, looking away, though she didn’t fight to get free.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” Luz said, closing her eyes, “get me to Hexside like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You are unbelievable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And irresponsible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t you say ‘irresistible’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz heard Amity groan, but their arms stayed linked anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and dropped herself on the couch, her eyes passed from one place to another without any real reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just tired of all at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda took one of the books from the coffee table and looked at the passages on it. Words of powerful magicians and witches and wizards were always cryptic because those douches though it was funny to confuse people… granted, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>funny; she could give them that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But why did they have to do it in rhymes?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She groaned and glared at the page. “What is ‘and the spark of power, who brought light and pain, shall stain the container, linking the spawn to the main’ supposed to mean?! You stupid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw the book to the side and covered her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s parent was beginning to be more of a question of stress than work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stood up and walked to the kitchen, her path direct to the fridge and she got out her apple blood, drinking from the bottle. She hated the idea of getting too much into the stuff, she already lost her capacities to something out of her control, she didn’t want to abandon her self-control, too, even when the drink wasn’t all that strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Titan, she needed it at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister was working with a bad guy, said bad guy was growing more and more probable to be the actual father of her surrogate kid, and said surrogate child had gotten so deep under her skin that Eda was reading stories with her to sleep, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>slept</span>
  </em>
  <span> with the kid to avoid nightmares!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I don’t mind it a bit… damn it, Titan!” Eda groaned and placed the bottle aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda won’t be dealing with her problems like an old hag!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to keep her safe, right?” She said, stomping back into the living room. “I’m not letting anybody take her away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped on the couch when a voice startled her. “Yei! Go get ‘em! Hoot-Hoot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hooty, don’t get inside the house!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow had seen many things in her life that could be marked as upsetting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Luz and Amity come arm in arm to Hexside, was one of those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were friends?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow bit back her answer. “I didn’t hear about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t make a scene either, and Titan she wanted to! But… but Luz was laughing as she did before the entire... before the cast and the nightmares. Willow couldn’t take that away… also, even if she hated to admit it, Amity was laughing so much, more than Willow had seen her in years.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why is this so complicated? Titan!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought, looking at them, how was it possible nobody else cared?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stopped at the very limit of the school grounds, separating from Luz and looking to the ground. Was that harpy blushing?! Really?! Go to the Blights to make a difficult situation even harder to deal with!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They seem pretty good friends,” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know…” Willow sighed. “Just, let’s not talk about it, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus nodded. “Oh, I know, I know, I know. Not talking about it, not at all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gus, stop, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stopping!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz thankfully got to them at that moment. “Hello, fellow Hexolos!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did it, Luz!” Gus proceeded to say, and he made a spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled, looking up, she had seen him do that trick before, and the nice welcome message would ri-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gus…” Willow said frowning at him. “Why does it say ‘Better luck next time’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he said, “I was covering all my bases.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was already in!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed and shook her head, looking at Luz, the scene from a moment ago flashed in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to stop thinking about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, do you know who those witches are?” Willow asked, pointing to the banners. “Those are the heads of the main nine covens, each one of them excelled at one of the great magic schools like Glandus, St. Epiderm, and of course, Hexside! Are you prepared to enter these hallowed halls?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hum, that’s what I’m gonna figure out right now!” Luz said, passing them and through the stairs, “see you on the other side friends!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus made a new spell. “See you later, Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Augustus…” Willow sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The message of ‘Goodbye forever’ was shining far too brightly over their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what? I…I’m just gonna rid of these…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Titan helped her, that day seemed about to be bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, which track are you going to be part of?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had expected the question and she was prepared to answer… until she saw the banners on Bump office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I have to study just one?” She asked, looking at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, a witch needs to be focused,” he said, “there are dangers to not being able to concentrate when doing magic… besides, after all the training you had with Eda, I was thinking maybe a little more of… restriction, would do you some good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz couldn’t really discuss that; so, she looked again at the banners for a few seconds, but ended up shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I don’t think I can choose one,” she finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump stood up and walked up to her. “Then I’ll choose one for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pretty weird tongue-twister later, Luz was placed in potions track. She looked at her uniform, now tainted with the yellow selves of the track, and sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… I always like pouring stuff into other stuff… ‘sides, Eda already taught me a thing or two…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the spirit,” Bump said, “also, I need you to be on your best behavior.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump sighed and took a seat. “The Emperor’s coven is sending an inspector.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Can you feel how your heart falls to the underground? Luz was </span>
  <em>
    <span>super</span>
  </em>
  <span> sure she just felt it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, they don’t know you are here,” he said, “they are examining the schools, in general, to see if we follow the regulations, and there’s also de apprenticeship program where they chose one prominent student to train under one of the coven heads for a year.” He looked back at her. “I believe you already dealt with Miss. Amity Blight many times, she was the winner of last year’s inspection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz let out a shaking breath and closed her eyes. “And it’s a good idea for me to be here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are going to be looking at the best students from last semester, so they shouldn’t be paying you any attention, unless you look for it,” he replied, “so please, stay out of sight, I may have promised Eda to keep quiet about you being here, but I can’t protect you if the Emperor’s coven asks directly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded, looking down. “Understood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, now, off you go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was then carried out of the office by magic and heard the door close behind her. Sighing, she took her scroll out and looked at the messages. She had three from Willow asking where should they have lunch and two were from Gus, parallels from getting into good classes and bad ones—he couldn’t do without covering his bases right?—and there was a last one from Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>[Amity! &lt;3]: Got spelling class first, you? Want to meet on free period?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled while she typed a quick ‘sure’ and put the scroll away, she needed to get to class first if she was going to do anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, it turned out, potions were </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>her thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two hours of moving stuff around in a cauldron? Not her deal, at all, she was feeling a lot of pressure on her arm, she was getting dizzy from all the herbs and infusion names, and hell she was tired of that teacher trying to make the mixing funny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There is a limit for awful jokes, and Luz reaching hers was a statement!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanna change tracks…” Luz whined dropping on the library’s bench.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can do that… if your grades are good enough and if you past four tests.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ruin this for me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at Amity when the girl started laughing, just to join her a minute later. She was kind of happy with having managed to escape to meet her. Willow and Gus wanted to spend the break together, and she loved them! But she could hang with them at any given time of the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was tougher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to, is my job as the only careful person in this room right now,” Amity said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m careful…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tripped three times from the door to your chair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t say anything at that, and Amity smirked at her. The air around her was different from her usual and Luz found herself smiling at the simple sight of Amity reading, she almost hurt her neck when turning away and almost getting caught looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was cute, hella cute, but Luz wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>staring!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Amity asked, hiding behind her book. “Do I have something in my face?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no… I was just… thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…’bout what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and looked aside. “Is this…? You know, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That word did the trick, in more ways than she would’ve wanted it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she doesn’t hang with me unless there is a crowd around, so this break is not going to be important,” Amity said, “so we are cool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She just hangs with you for people to see you two together?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Amity sighed. “Is the only reason people had been around me this past few years since…” She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at Amity’s, noticing the way they darkened immediately, and pushed herself up, moving to stand next to the girl, she held her face with her hands and made Amity look at her in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, for one, like to spend time with you regardless someone sees us or not,” Luz said, smiling, “so stop sulking, will ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Was it necessary to hold my face?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz left Amity’s face go and sat again, taking her potions book. She still had to prepare her next class which was… ‘More potions again’?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just kill me now… or let me see how I’m going to die…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mixing magic is forbidden.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know…” Luz sighed. “I just wished it wasn’t, you know… I want to learn all the magic I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A witch needs to be focused or it could be disastrous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Emperor’s coven works because…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They learn all the magic on top of their tracks and then get a generalized training,” Amity explained, “Lilith was doing mine until…until the duel…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and looked at Amity; the teal haired girl returned the look and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s in the past… I wasn’t really on the right side that time around,” Amity said, closing her book, “still, I would’ve been fine without the cheating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were about to lose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t, Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is the ‘Half-a-Witch’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, do you need to go at it right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Skara!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bard witch sighed and looked away, she wasn’t in the mood to discuss with Boscha… she was never in the mood for that, but still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the redhead and wondered why she was so frustrated. Willow hasn’t done anything! Literally</span>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>from the very start of the day, they got to school and she had been basically a ghost, not appearing anywhere near them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha should be happy!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not getting away with hiding from me…” Boscha said and opened the door to the self-study classroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara tried to not find disturbing how the redhead’s face lit up at the sight of the plant witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we really doing this?” She asked, holding Boscha by the arm. “The plant track teacher is there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha slapped her hand and scoffed. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not a fan of Grugby, you can’t wing her like the history teacher or Principal Bum,” Skara reminded her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha glared at her but took a breath and waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled at her before summoning her scroll and leaned on the frame of the entrance while opening Penstagram. She liked some photos before she got into her messages and opened Lucelyn’s chat and sent her a heads up to go running for Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara then looked at the plant track witch. She was smiling while talking with the teacher, Gus was next to her with a note pad and some books, they seemed… happy, somehow. Sure, she had seen them like that before, but at that moment, Willow was on the right track, Gus was happier and they both had some kind of… air, to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lucelyn had worked wonders.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Skara thought before she looked at Boscha.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was smiling, but not in the ‘I’m-going-to-break-her’ way, it was more like… a relaxed way. If Skara had to compare it with something, it was like the smile she had after a crazy training day, she was just happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never understand you,” she said and sighed, looking to the sides. “Where are Cat and Amelia?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably getting food, making out, death, who cares?” Boscha replied, “What do you mean by that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara stared at her and sighed. “Literally just that, I don’t get you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, good, I’m far too good for you to understand me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we really getting into that topic again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll do it all the times that are necessary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, we are friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m the alpha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There aren’t ‘alphas’ in friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell that to my alpha vibes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara didn’t dignify that with an answer and looked back to the front. “Hey, Willow’s gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Boscha shouted and turned to the front, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The plant witch wasn’t there anymore, neither was Gus. Skara looked around a little before her scroll buzzed and she opened the chat with Lucelyn, there she saw a picture of her with the two runaway witches—Boscha had just called them that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please!</span>
  </em>
  <span>—in the hallways with a ‘thank you’ message at the foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She does work wonders.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Skara thought with a smile before getting the scroll away and looking at Boscha. “Let’s check the cafeteria.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she is not getting away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara watched Boscha go after that scream, in the opposite direction to where Willow and the others had gone, and bit her lip. Really, just, what was wrong with that girl?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was having a hard time keeping up with Kikimora and Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been over the top of all the unessential matters, leaving all to her and then rushing to do who knew what! She was sure one of them—or both—was looking for Lucelyn, and while Lilith did all she could to keep them away from Hexside or her sister’s house, she was running out of justifications and also out of energy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Being a double agent is harder than what books made it seem… and it was hard!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lilith thought, getting another cup of apple blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your fifth mug, Lilith,” Kikimora said from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she replied, seating again, “I don’t understand how you can be so pristine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a night creature; a few hours over the sleep time won’t affect me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been up for two days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said, a few hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a demon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Common fact, your point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Argh, even discussing with you is pointless now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said that when you broke up with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was three years ago! Get over it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith decided that her stupid investigation was worth more than discussing with the demon after ten minutes. Her stupid task at that time was trying to get how to connect to the magic of a child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was elemental, actually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The parent’s magic will always somehow influence the kids, so it could be by the color of their magic or their affinity towards a type of magic in itself, sometimes, if the power was enough, the parent with higher magic power would influence the kid’s appearance more than the other parent in question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Belos wanted more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted deep connections, the ways a magic-user could influence their child and the extent of that influence, he was also looking for ways to interfere with the magic of a person that wasn’t related at all!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is pointless,” Lilith muttered and placed a book aside. “Why does he want this information anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor answers to a higher power and reasoning, Lilith,” Kikimora said, “We must not wonder about it, we are his hands, eyes, and ears, we-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Make his will reality, I know, I know,” Lilith sighed and opened a new book. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I just doubt that will is what we need right now.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lilith thought and groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took her five minutes to decide she wouldn’t be getting anything out of that book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going for another one,” she told Kikimora, walking outside the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith passed next to a window and saw the troops moving around the training grounds, the newest recruits—she supposed—trying to beat veteran witches in a mock battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That reminds me, it was today, right?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and summoned her scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Having one of those was handier than she would’ve expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrolled through the dates on her calendar and stopped on the date of that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Apprenticeship inspection.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are also maintaining routine research to distribute resources today?” Lilith wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had made many things when becoming head of the coven, hearing and witnessing how much of their funds went to the pockets of the precious head was enraging, and she had made sure to send the money to the places they required them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A coven above all others, right, and yet, she had fixed many issues.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe because of that none of the older members like me.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and sighed, looking down at the object again. “Please stay safe, Lucelyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was sure she just screwed up big time when she picked that prediction ball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like, the spirit hadn’t needed to say anything to her, really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump pulled her to the side and was lecturing her about the sad times of the wild magic being too powerful and destroying all the lives of the witches who dared to look too much into the void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you be so selfish and stupid?!” He screamed at one point. “What am I asking? You are Eda’s kid! You are meant to be a little nightmare, just like her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump raised his hand and made a spell. Luz’s mouth was closed by an invisible force while she was pulled along to a door. She looked at the great metal plate move to the side and then Bump pushed her inside, she saw a big room, filled with only three students and a teacher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rejoice! You have a new one!” Bump said, pushing her again, “now you are where you belong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned in time to see a new spell circle on Bump’s hand, she then looked down, her yellow selves turned dark grey, a gasp escape her mouth, and her eyes snapped up to the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this place?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump glared at her. “The place where all troublemakers go, the detention track!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh?! No!” Luz said, looking at the room and then back to him. “Detention track? But that’s impossible! I thought-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actual detention is under revision,” Bump said with a sigh, “a parent just had to ask for a more </span>
  <em>
    <span>merciful </span>
  </em>
  <span>way of dealing with the problematic kids. So, in the meantime, I’m keeping all troublemakers out of the eyes of the inspector. Try better luck next year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped. “But I may not have a chance next year!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, maybe, you are better off, </span>
  <em>
    <span>without</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hexside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz then was faced with the metal of the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t do this!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey kid!” she heard, and turned to the teacher. “Take. A. Seat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the teacher, but the glare made her desist in her intentions to answer him. She nodded and walked to the front desk, the three other students seemed… nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed</span>
  </em>
  <span> troublemakers, that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, fellow detentioners! Room for one more?” Luz asked with a small smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Better not to make any enemies, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like those little spikes in your hair,” Luz added when she didn’t receive a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect the teacher to react at that. “Hey! You better be quiet, unless you want to scrub the classroom, again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Again?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, and looked around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place was spotless, she had seen other classrooms before, Gus made sure of it, same as Amity, and there was always something going on with those, be it the dust or the people’s lunch, she couldn’t find a single clean space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until then, who would need to scrub </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>classroom?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We weren’t talking,” one of the detention students said, Luz caught her pouting by the rear of her eye, the girl was bulky, strong, and had that super cool fishhook as an earring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sadly enough, the teacher heard her. “You wanna go, missy?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Luz said standing up. “Don’t blame any of them! I’m the one who started the talking!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hurray, a hero!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz then had a bucket and a </span>
  <em>
    <span>broom</span>
  </em>
  <span>—he didn’t even give her the right tools!—in her hands. She muttered and pouted while walking to the back of the room, starting right away and looking at the teacher who was now, apparently, sleeping.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why in the hell does he watch the delinquents?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After twenty minutes of a hellish—unnecessary—cleaning, Luz was in front of a window, looking at the kids walking towards a new adventure in the ‘Astral plane’, while she was stuck on rubbing dust away from bars on windows.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why am I with the bunch of idiots who doesn’t understand the value of education? I’m a nerd dang it!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and bit her lip. “I don’t belong here…” Luz whispered and turned. “Nobody does…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glad we are think-alike kind of people, mate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would’ve liked to say she fell gracefully and with style… but she wasn’t a liar, so, she fell like a toddler on a greased slide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” the girl with the pointy hair said, “you OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, now, shush,” the girl said and pulled her along to the board.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her while the girl took a piece of chalk and drew a squared and a key-hole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the thing just… opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” the girl said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz walked past the small opening on the wall and gaped at the path. The secret hallway walls were covered in pictures and stains, but the air around them was nothing like the room from before. The messiness was… welcoming, in a weird way, the small light-balls on the edge between the wall and the ceiling gave a slight shine to the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this place?” Luz said, turning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl leaned closer to her. “This is the last room you’ll see alive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I’m just messing with ya!” She said, laughing, “I’m Viney.” The girl—Viney—extended her hand to Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m terrified. Um, I mean, I’m Lucelyn,” Luz said and took her hand. “You can call me Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for standing for us back there, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not many people would do that,” she said, “Follow me! I want to show ya something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This totally normal, right?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Nothing like those old Korean movies…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“As part of us, troublemakers, you get special access to the ‘secret room of shortcuts’!” Viney said, turning at her and smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa!” Luz said, gaping at the ‘room’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place was hardly bigger than her room on the wide side, but it went at least six meters in height, the walls were covered with doors of all sizes, colors, and shapes, the entire place was so messed up and mixed in </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> many ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is like a kaleidoscope,” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney walked to be in front of her. “Hey, Jerbo! Barkus! You can stop hiding now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the many doors opened and two heads poked out of frame. Luz recognized the two other students from before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do we know she is cool, man?” the brunet guy said, “How do we know she won’t turn us in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a bark coming from the other student, a chimera maybe? He…They did seem like a dog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barkus says your aura has something weird,” the dog-person-student barked again. “And that it also is fun a silly, like a baby’s laughter,” the guy—Jerbo, Luz supposed—said and jumped down, catching the other student—Barkus—on the fall. “Welcome!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and spun around, her eyes landed on multiple doors. “I love secret rooms! Where do all these doors go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anywhere!” Viney said, pulling her to one and opening it. Luz saw the cafeteria. “This place was made by a troublemaker, </span>
  <em>
    <span>for </span>
  </em>
  <span>next-generation troublemakers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every door connects to a different part of the school!” Jerbo said, walking towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barkus got closer, too. “Woaf!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said that we found this place when we got thrown into the detention track,” Viney said, “the witch that made this place is known as ‘Lord Calamity’!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that last word, she pointed to a wall. There, a frame with a picture covered with paint and dust waited for Luz to get closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo passed next to her and stood in front of it. “They started this ‘troublemaker wall’ and we added our names, in their honor!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This place is amazing!” Luz cheered, “I bet you guys can get in so much trouble in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney chuckled. “Sure we can, but we can also do so much more.” She moved and pointed to a place on the third row of doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Barkus looking through a frame and got closer; there she saw the prediction teacher was showing the kids something with paper while giving a rare speech.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys study?” Luz asked turning to Viney.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! We love school!” Jerbo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we may like it, a bit, too much,” Viney added, “and Bump doesn’t like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched them take a seat next to a huge door on the floor and jumped down the little staircase she was on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You actually like school a lot, don’t ya?” Luz said, dropping next to Viney.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said, we might have liked it too much,” Viney responded, getting a hand to the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo laughed. “Word, anyway,” he turned to Luz. “I tried to mix plant magic with abominations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Luz asked, jumping a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…! Thou, it didn’t go so well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He destroyed half the classroom and the whole class garden,” Viney told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was just half-garden!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway!” Viney hugged Luz over the shoulders, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>tried to mix healing, with… beast keeping.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way!” Luz laughed pushing the other girl apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, way!” Viney laughed too, “I’ll admit that mixing them was slightly unconventional, but Puddles makes a great assistant, dang it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barkus tried to mix potions and oracles,” Jerbo said, “but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me guess,” Luz commented, “it didn’t go so well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup!” the three of them replied, Barkus, did so with a nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t see how that came out,” Luz commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The teacher wishes she hadn’t,” Viney said, “I think she still goes to therapy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How does this even work?!” Luz asked after breaking into laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Jerbo asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz calmed down a little before she looked at them. “Mixing magic, how do you do it? I only know about using different types of magic, not about combining them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barkus barked a few times in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He gave a pretty long explanation about balance and resonance,” Viney said, “but in reality, mixing magic is fairly simple, if I say so myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Viney smiled and made a spell circle, creating a small ball of light. “Think of it like making light, you start it by just making a small ball, but if you push a little…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw how the small sphere in Viney’s hand shapeshift into a crescent moon and then into a star-like shape, to finally change into a little bird and then disappear into nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mixing magic is all about imagination and affinity,” Viney said with a smirk. “If you can picture two of them working together, it will work, eventually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are times when magic mixes and we just listen to it,” Jerbo commented, “I started to mix abominations and plant magic after my abomination got next to a killer flower, they didn’t start to fight but… sense each other.” Jerbo smiled a little and leaned back on his hands. “I guess they showed me what I should do with my magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at him before turning around, the three people in that room were so… amazing! Like Eda, they had a different way of doing things, a different way of dealing with the world, but they weren’t bad, they were…they were…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simply incredible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys are unbelievable!” Luz said while throwing all of them a smile. “I… I feel bad for thinking I didn’t deserve to be here and that you did...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them stared at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney took a deep breath. “You… you did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked around, the charming aura and laugher had died at a hit speed, she took a shaking breath before nodding, here fixated on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… I thought this class was for people who didn’t care about school,” Luz began, “people who didn’t though of magic as something worth knowing and just wanted to be mean and mess up hard work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess that’s what you would think,” Jerbo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney scoffed. “Everyone always thinks the same anyway,” she muttered, “we are just ‘problem kids’ that don’t deserve anything, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz raised her head and stared at the small group of witches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” she shouted, “I was wrong, guys, I did think like that, yeah, but you guys are amazing! I mean, you study every kind of magic in secret!” Luz said, “you found a way to this room, and instead of doing what people would expect you to do, you keep being amazing students and… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>good </span>
  </em>
  <span>people, even if I’ve just known you for like, twenty minutes! I don’t think you are bad.” Luz looked down again. “I’m- </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’d be</span>
  </em>
  <span> honored to be part of a group with you guys in it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence for so long that Luz feared that they would attack her, she was used to many of those things, school, no matter what dimension, was her weak point apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But curiously enough, she felt a path on her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, that… that is the nicest thing someone had said about us in while,” she heard Jerbo say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz raised her head to look at the group, Jerbo was extremely red, and Viney had a slight blush on her cheeks, Barkus was hiding under his front paws. Luz smiled at them again, feeling a bit of heat on her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I said something embarrassing, right?” she asked, and the other three laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A bit, but it was nice, don’t doubt it!” Viney said, hugging her, “Thanks, Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo stood up. “Well, better to get back to class, don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just what I was thinking!” Viney said, “But I think we need one last thing first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We do?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo looked at Viney and smiled before moving to a large staircase, he took something from under it, she gasped when she saw with it was. Viney laughed at her, and Luz was pretty sure she had sparkles in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys have a secret art backpack!” She screamed, running towards Jerbo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bag was one of those ‘clear backpacks’—horrible things, but things at the end—and it was full of markers, brushes, and paint jars. She practically ripped it from Jerbo’s hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is so cool…!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney placed a hand on her shoulder. “Glad you liked it, now, ready to be part of history?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and then to where she heard Barkus’ bark. She saw Jerbo and the chimera student standing next to the ‘Troublemaker wall’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a spot for you right here!” Jerbo said, pointing to the base of the frame with the paint-covered photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and took a few markers out of the bag. “Step aside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you two go to the same school now. That doesn’t change anything!” Amity said and sighed. “…Except maybe, all of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity walked to her locker and stared at the insides after opening it. How was she supposed to deal with studying with Luz? Sure, she hadn’t chosen the abomination track; Amity could have most of her classes without having to even think of Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problem was, ironically, she thought about not thinking about Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew something was up with her. There was that strange deal with the Emperor’s coven. The fight on top of the mountain had shown her that the whole problem was not only about Eda, but the guards were also specifically after Luz, She wasn’t blind, the actions of the coven soldiers and their way of talking, everything was deeper than the usual ‘fraternizing with a criminal’ charge she had seen in the past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was up with Luz, and she was now in the middle of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is stupid…” she whispered when the bell rang and everyone started to leave their classes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking about Luz had cost her more than two hours of abomination creation and maintenance before she walked out. She was just happy to have studied all that beforehand, the only thing she needed was to have a bad grade on top of her actual problems.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She s had stood up when the classroom was empty and walked slowly until she got to her locker, now that she was there? She wasn’t sure of what to do of her time, she sighed, while taking out and looking at her scroll, the last conversation with Luz was under the group chat Boscha had ‘forced’ her into, the notification sign was standing out like a sore thumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want now?” Amity whispered opening the chat, “…you gotta be kidding me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw </span>
  <em>
    <span>billions</span>
  </em>
  <span> of old photos of Willow being picked on; she was being pushed around next to the lockers, without her glasses and even with some dirt on her face. Amity closed the app and her eyes at the same time, shaking her head as if she could make the images go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was horrible, and yet, she was being partially happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is so messed up…” Amity sighed, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss. Blight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and looked around; Principal Bump was closing the distance between them, fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I just needed this…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity though, keeping herself from groaning and forcing a smile. “Yes, Principal Bump?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her day was just getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was a good student, a really good one, when she was not making abominations, that is. And that showed a lot since her change of track… and that was the reason why her fourth attempt to grow a non-lethal plant was making her want to jump out the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her spelling class earlier that day was also a sore spot, how had she failed that basic set of spells?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure you are OK, Miss. Park?” her teacher asked her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “You seem a bit off today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine professor, just a little… distracted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, I hope you can get back into your normal focus, I know you can do better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and me both…” Willow whispered, sighing and looking down to her pot full of death ivy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow closed her eyes for a second and the image of Luz and Amity walking together to class flashed in front of her, there wasn’t a point anymore, it was just her subconscious picking on her for not being able to deal with her new best friend hanging out with her former best friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And here I go again!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought, covering her face with her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s face, laughing, and Luz hugging her were just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>bitter</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it made her feel so… she didn’t even have the words to describe it. She needed to calm down, sure, but when the stupid thing that upsets you appears in front of you whenever you close your eyes, it becomes quite difficult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out of sight, out of mind… out of sight, out of mind,” she muttered and restarted her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A </span>
  <em>
    <span>painfully </span>
  </em>
  <span>long class later, Willow was walking down the stairs to the cafeteria, Luz should’ve finished her morning classes and she’d be waiting next to the door, but when Willow got there, the only person standing in front of the doors was Skara, the girl’s ears perked up a little at seeing her, but she immediately looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Guess this means Amity hasn’t come either</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Willow thought, and she tensed, looking to the other corridors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha could be close, and she was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the mood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow jumped a little and blinked before her eyes made contact with a pair of grey ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did Skara just talk to her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Willow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, I mean,” Skara said, looking down, “she is not coming today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow frowned a little. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is preparing Grugby strategies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Though the season starts in two weeks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara smiled. “It does, but Boscha </span>
  <em>
    <span>needs </span>
  </em>
  <span>to have at least five new strategies or she goes nuts during training and all the time between… it helps her to calm down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sound harsh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not even the beginning of it,” Skara looked up to her, “what about you? Where is Lucelyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow, bit her lip and looked past Skara, Boscha wasn’t coming, that much seemed to be true, but still…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you talking to me?” Willow asked, and Skara jumped a little. “I’m the ‘Half-a-Witch’ Willow, Skara, why are you even bothering in talking to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bard witch seemed a bit… deflected, her eyes traveling everywhere on the corridor </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow. She started to play with the end of her robe before sighing and looking to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seemed like you wouldn’t judge, I guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow did not expect that. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, it was stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara ran away from her before Willow could say anything, and the plant track girl stood there, looking after the other one until she was out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara was weird, to say the least. She had never bullied her as Boscha had, but she never tried to help her before, she just stood there and </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow would never know what her deal was, but she was at the very least the best of all her bullies, if she didn’t count Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… that would’ve never sounded good, ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Willow looked to the front, the little conversation still lingering in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that all about?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow! Luz needs help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to see Gus just before he took her hand and started to pull her along to Titan knew where, all the last ten minutes of her life feeling like a dream from long ago.  She tried to focus on Skara’s memory, back to her expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Gus said something about Luz, and detention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Priorities, first, she needed to see what in the hell happened with Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was panicking when she heard about the Emperor’s coven inspector. She had just, recently—little more than a week, but who was counting?—gone against the coven for her ‘criminal-by-association’ friend! And while she didn’t regret saving Luz, but she did regret having shown her face!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, she might as well be a criminal too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, she wasn’t thrilled with having to perform in front of an inspector, but her reputation, and more importantly, her parents were closely tied with the presentation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was also the apprenticeship program…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My luck just gets worse by the minute, doesn’t it…?” Amity whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned towards the voice and kept herself from groaning at the sight of Boscha, the triclop girl wasn’t being followed, so Amity didn’t have to think about keeping </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>of a mask, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard!” Boscha finally caught up to her and smirked. “You are making a presentation for the inspector, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool! You are boosting popularity to the roof! We need to post it on Penstagram!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity glared at Boscha while the girl summoned her scroll and kept a blank face for the selfie. Boscha didn’t notice, or didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, did you check the group-chat? That half a witch was a real freak show that day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The only freak show is right in front of me, just, who keeps track of old bullying?!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity thought. “I did, not funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on! You gotta accept that remembering the ‘Half-a-Witch’ in her rightful place has its charm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t find any charm in attacking her for what is out of her control, Willow already showed she was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>late bloomer, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>failure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, keeping on attacking her without motive is just plain sad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha stared at her and Amity finally noticed she was breathing a bit too hard. When did she start to raise her voice?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you… defending her?” Boscha asked, glaring, “Do I have to remind you of what a lost cause she was?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit her lip and looked away. “I know what Willow </span>
  <em>
    <span>was,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Boscha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because there is a difference between disassociation and marginalization,” Amity cut in, turning her back on Boscha. “You should try to learn where it is. Now, I have a presentation to prepare.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity walked away from Boscha and kept her eyes to the front until she passed next to the windows of the back garden; there she looked at Willow’s tree, a small whining oak that stood strong and healthy in the middle of a bed of flowers. She remembered being mad at the thing, it was a reminder of Willows’s raw talent and the misjudgment from her parents’ part.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“The Blights only associate with a selected few”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity frowned at the memory of her mother’s words. “Willow should be part of that few.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head and turned her back to the window. She had more important things to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More…More magic… More…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hungry,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the magic from Glandus hasn’t been nearly enough to fill it. The creature moved around its hideout hysterically, breaking branches in the dark, crushing rocks and stones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It needed food, lots of food…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it couldn’t be careless, a bad move and someone would find it, someone could hunt it, and it liked to live, living meant eating, and eating meant living. So no hunters, no risk… just waiting for the time to strike… the time to eat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just… a bit… longer…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or you could go now, if you are smart enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It tensed, moving fast towards a wall, it glared at the darkness, but there was nothing to glare at. But, oh, there was a presence around the place, a pressure that was crushing every part of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you? Where…Where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that matter to you?” the voice asked, “Does it matter who I am, when you can’t eat me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature relaxed against its will, something made it relax practically by force, and its mind was getting clouded, its senses falling into idle responses. What was happening to it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What… do you… want…?” it managed to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a chuckle, and then it felt a hand being placed on its neck, a hot hand, burning its way through its skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is indeed a good question,” the voice came, “and luckily for you, my interest and yours are connected this time around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the words could come out, a snapping sound filled the place, and the burning sensation was gone, its mind was coming back. A pair of red dots shined in the distance, floating aimlessly in the darkness, and in front of it, a stone shined in green light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to devour everything you can,” the voice said, “I want you to be able to rush through it all… and look for someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look… for…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… a girl, with dark skin and auburn hair… she has a magic you can’t even begin to wonder the depths of within herself.” It heard a little shiver in the voice. “She is escaping my grip… but you, you’ll look out for her, you’ll find her, no matter where she is hiding, start wherever you want, I’ll make sure nobody can stop you, but you’ll bring her to me, you’ll bring her magic to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her… magic… to you…?” it repeated, “I could just e-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A horrid and smashing pressure came back; a gigantic one that crushed it, burying it a good half meter in the ground, the air pushing it down. The pain of its body about to collapse under the incredible force made it want to scream, but its voice was taken away from it by a void in its throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me be, </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfectly,</span>
  </em>
  <span> clear…” the voice came again, but the soothing tone from before was gone, behind those words was an ice edge, deathly cold and soulless. “That girl belongs to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you are to find her, and bring her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me… </span>
  </em>
  <span>you can have all the other kids, adults, hell, even pets, all you want for all I care, but.” The voice marked each word that came next. “Don’t you dare to touch </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature felt a hand again and its head was forced to look up. The red dots were in front of it, a golden mask with antlers was in front of it, the red crimson light was in front of it, burning it! The glare drilling inside the depths of its mind, making something rose from inside of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that… fear?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understood?” the… the monster, asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It forced itself to nod. “C…C-Crystal…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, now, off you go… bring the </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘light’</span>
  </em>
  <span> I asked you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it was all… gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The monster, the pressure, the threat, everything vanished… but the fear, the terror, and the pain were still with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as the purple stone, shinning on the ground. Just as the mission it now had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s time for Hexside’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>inspection</span>
  </em>
  <span>…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are quite good at this, Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Jerbo!” she replied with a singing voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned away from her work; the plant track teacher was currently showing kids how to identify poisonous plants from medicinal ones with a board and making them take notes. Luz had taken a notebook from Jerbo a few minutes ago, and said boy was sitting next to her, Barkus was looking at the potions class through a small door that apparently gave him a view from above the teacher’s desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Viney was next to a huge door looking at the beast keeping track riding Griffins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is amazing that we learn from all types of magic,” Luz said, “but I still don’t get how to mix it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, you’ll get it someday,” Jerbo said without looking away from the door he was using.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Mate!” Viney shouted. “After that graffiti, I’m positive that you’re the most creative person we know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are the most creative one of all of us, I’m sure you’ll get it!” Jerbo said, throwing a side-smile at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw… thanks, guys!” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No prob!” Viney shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a small silence and Luz felt her stomach grumble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While this is such a cool place…” Luz said, jumping down the door frame where Jerbo and her were sitting. “When do we get out of class? I’m starving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney closed the door she was using and turned. “You have a point there, is almost lunchtime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barkus made a sound like a whimper and closed his own door, throwing a pencil at Jerbo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, I’m going!” the brunet said, closing the door and jumping down, “I hope they have stew today at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was scream-burger day…” Viney mentioned opening the square-door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can go and see,” Luz offered, jumping outside the corridor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teacher was </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>sleeping, how could he do that? That guy could sleep through a disaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess this is how you got a clear way to do stuff,” Luz commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney chuckled hugging her over her shoulders. “Yep, this dude is a stone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and took a couple of breaths before relaxing on Viney’s grip, her eyes went to the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Were those white robes?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I guess the inspector came with guards.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and grimaced, looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, the bell is going to ring soon, back to our seats,” Jerbo said, getting her attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and nodded, pulling Viney along, they just sat when the door swung open and principal Bump entered the room along with Amity, Willow, and Skara. He then turned to it and locked it magic, making giant glowing green chains surround the frame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Principal Bump?” the troublemakers shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz, on the other hand, had other priorities. “Amity?! Willow and Skara?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three witches turned towards her. “Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silence!” Bump shouted and made a new spell; Luz felt her mouth being forced to close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to protest when she heard it, a growl that was immediately followed by a roar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring her out! Bring me the light!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt the ground shaking and how something tightened over her shoulder, she looked at Viney and saw the girl </span>
  <em>
    <span>panicking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What the hell is happening?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz’s mind was filled with that question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw through the small glass on the door. A giant reptile passed in front of it, she couldn’t make much out of it, but she did see something. It was wearing a long chain over its small shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed in silence until the creature was gone. Once the imminent danger was avoided, Bump sighed and released the spell on their mouths. Luz took a shaking breath before looking around. She found Amity’s eyes on her, and the expression she had was somewhat… discomfort?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity?” Luz called, and the teal haired witch jumped a little. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing!” Amity answered, but her face didn’t change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz followed her eyes and landed on Viney’s arm around </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> shoulders. Luz bit her lip and released herself from the other girl’s grip, walking up to Willow. Her friend was pathing and leaning her hands on her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked at her, and shook her head. “Gus told me you were here, but Principal Bump asked me to make a presentation for the inspector on plants’ track students’ representation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz would’ve commented about how cool that was, but Willow wasn’t done yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We…We were in the middle of the group presentations for the inspector and she… she…” Willow stopped, looking away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was an imposter!” Bump finished the explanation. “A slimy reptile beast that eats magic and is looking for something stupid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A slimy reptile that, let me see if I heard you correctly, eats </span>
  <em>
    <span>magic?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Viney came in, “Since it can talk, it sure sounds like a Greater Basilisk…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense!” Bump snapped, “Those are extinct!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet! We are facing a thing that eats magic and talks!” Viney shouted back at him before groaning and crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we going to do?” Jerbo asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at all the people in the room and closed her eyes, she turned to Willow again and held her by the shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, where is Gus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He-He bought me time to… to find you…” Willow managed to mutter. “But that thing got to him…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He tried to go outside,” Willow said, and she closed the distance between them. “But the Emperor’s coven didn’t let him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes grew bigger. “What? But that thing is going to-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow covered her mouth. “I know, and I don’t understand, either, but they placed a blocking spell on all entrances.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked and turned to the window, she saw the white robes in the distance, and she glared at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Skara tried to save Gus,” Willow said, “but the monster hit her to leave her for later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, how is she here?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was presenting for the Bard track, Bump brought her.” Willow bit her lip. “But he couldn’t get to Gus in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and looked down. “Gus…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to act,” Bump said, “we can’t let that thing roam free and find whatever it’s looking for!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Basilisk is a species that is vulnerable to cold temperatures and has a low resistance to fiscal attacks,” Viney mentioned, and Luz looked at her, “if we can get something cold to stab it, it should do the trick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But how?” Amity asked, and she almost sounded… mad at Viney. “Our magic gets nullified whenever we try to cast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could cast it beforehand,” Jerbo offered, “I know six types of plants that can be extremely cold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like which one?” Willow asked, walking past Luz. “I also know a lot of plants like those, none of them can grow in the greenhouse, let alone stab something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reached for her left arm, and the lack of metal made her cringe. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. She could help them if she still had her bracelet, she could be something more than being </span>
  <em>
    <span>useless-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” she heard a whisper, and a hand closed over hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and found Amity smiling awkwardly at her, Luz returned the gesture and sighed. No point in crying over spoiled milk, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to calm down, and breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her side bag, her cards where there, but she wasn’t really sure an ice glyph could pull off a stabbing, considering the lack of power in her spells, even with the newfound power Amity had managed to show her… it would be a bet, and she preferred to have more options than that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do we know?” Luz asked, stopping the growing discussion, “Viney, anything else we need to know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you asking her?” Bump said, glaring at her. “You both are just troublemakers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And these troublemakers are all you have right now!” Willow interrupted, and sighed. “They are the ones that seem to know anything and are presenting ideas, </span>
  <em>
    <span>instead</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of screaming the other shouldn’t do things!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss. Park don’t you understand they can’t be trust-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh don’t give us that!” Amity shouted, her grip on Luz’s hand tightening. “We need answers and being honest sir, you’ve been trying to blame this on someone from the moment that thing revealed itself, if we really want to beat it we are going to need all the help we can get.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and squeezed Amity’s hand back, closing her eyes and considering what they knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had read about serpent type monsters before, all of them had things in common…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get a distraction,” Luz said, “we need someone who can trick it and get it to lower its guard so others can hit it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But anything we try could be eaten and make it stronger,” Jerbo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we need to do things the Basilisk isn’t expecting, things that it won’t eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Bump scoffed, “the Greater Basilisk, if we go with the impossible idea that it is indeed one, is a creature that decomposes magic and devours it, any known spell will be within its range already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked at those words and looked at Viney, Barkus, and Jerbo. The three troublemakers smiled back at her and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not every spell,” Luz commented, “I think </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>may have the solution.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” Bump asked, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz left Amity’s hand go and walked up to the man. “I’m talking about a solution, but Principal Bump, you are going to have to do something you’d never done before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to promise you’ll think about the stupid rule of ‘one-witch-one-coven’ after this, because we are about to break the mold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump stared at her until his eyes got wide open, he looked at the room and watched how Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus took a stand next to Luz. He gaped a little before groaning and shaking his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, I’ll… I’ll think about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect!” Luz cheered, “also, another thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and crossed her arms. “How do you feel about living bait?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe we were set together…” Willow whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glared at Amity’s back. The two teens had been set with Jerbo in a crazy plan to try to hit the creature. A dual Abomination plant witch and one of each were—in paper—a solid formation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this was Amity Blight; nothing went like it was supposed to with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duck,” Jerbo said, looking over a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are we going to the greenhouse again?” Amity asked, looking back, “can’t you two just, make the plant grow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at this time of the year,” Willow barked, “we can only grow winter plants in winter, otherwise we need a seed, or did your ‘top student’ star blocked your memory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity flinched at her words, and Jerbo whistle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I feel a bit of tension,” he said, “please, can you keep it down until we are not, in the middle of, ya know, about to die?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked away and Willow scoffed at her, turning a corner and heard a shrike, she ducked and pulled Jerbo closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we can move much with that thing around, plan or not,” she whispered, glaring at the corridors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were one of the three people who didn’t think this plan was suicide,” Jerbo muttered, “I wish I had Barkus with me, they could tell me when will be sure to cross.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz needed them to plan Bump’s non-lethal performance,” Amity commented, “it’s quiet, let’s move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow groaned but moved. Jerbo led them to the doors of the plant track room and stopped them before they could try to open it, making them look through the small crystal on the door. Willow felt the blood in her veins freeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She covered her mouth. “Gus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside the room was a small pile of people, all of them pale and moaning. Willow looked a bit more and was able to identify Amelia and Eileen along with the photo class teacher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They must’ve come here after getting their magic sucked,” Amity said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo nodded and opened the door. “This room does have one of the most resistant doors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow took a deep breath and walked in tailing Amity, the people on the ground didn’t move at the noise they made, Amity stopped and stepped aside, looking at the windows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why does it need such a good door, thou?” Amity asked, “I thought beast keeping would have a better door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the only place with winter plants seeds, and others, which are really valuable,” Jerbo responded, “and some plants can get real nasty, so, the teacher usually has to deal with them at closed doors, and it’s easier to kill a plant when the only thing under it is stone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bright student doesn’t know basics out of her favorite track,” Willow said, and the other two stared at her, “what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo was the one to reply. “I…I didn’t picture you to be a bully, to be honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! I’m not a bully!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, OK, but can you blame me for getting it wrong?” He raised both hands. “All you’ve done since we left the rest is harass her for being, what? Smart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow gaped; she took a deep breath and walked past Jerbo before he could say anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get the seeds from the vault,” she said, “and, Jerbo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a bully.” Willow turned towards Amity and glared. “She is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t talk at all for the next hour or so, Luz had given their group a window of two hours to act. Viney had told them that the Greater Basilisk ability to retain magic wasn’t something dangerous within a day range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet, they still had a whole school to save.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They found the vault pretty fast, an extra room filled with the seeds of every known plant on the ‘Boiling Isles’… but the millions of seeds inside were a problem. They did find a note for the teacher to use an invocation spell to get the seed out of the pile, a spell that neither Jerbo nor Willow knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So they had to look </span>
  <em>
    <span>inside</span>
  </em>
  <span> the vault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ve found it!” Jerbo said, capturing Willows’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?!” She asked, walking towards him on the sea of small seeds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was guarding the door to the room, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! This is an ‘Ice Rose’ seed!” Jerbo cheered, “these plants are known to be under freezing temperature when they bloom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jerbo…” Willow said, “that plant is extremely difficult to grow, even with magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, is the only thing I’ve found! Wanna keep looking?” he asked, walking towards the door, “and ’sides, I can grow it if you help with the magic output.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you are right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They exited the vault and Willow closed behind them, she turned to the classroom door, there Amity vas using her abomination to place everybody behind a small wall of desks piled upon one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you do this?” Jerbo asked, sitting in the middle of the now cleared classroom, “why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked down. “I thought that even if that thing came here, it wouldn’t hurt them since they are out of magic but… well, a bit extra precaution comes well, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s nice from you,” Jerbo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow scoffed and sat in front of Jerbo. “Let’s get this over with, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna need both of your help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz plan is to use my plant abomination to attack the creature,” he explained, “I can control the processes, but I don’t have nearly enough magic to make a decent abomination </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> grow the ice rose at the same time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you need us to make the spells with you,” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do know that combining magic is extremely difficult, my siblings can barely do it with illusions, and they are twins!” Amity mentioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow swallowed at that, combining magic with other witches was a difficult thing, and not everyone could do it, generally talking, only direct family members should try to do it or they risked-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Better not think about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sadly enough, it seemed like Amity had already done so. “Jerbo, if we have a single slip up-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We won’t if you two can cope with me, we are not combining our magic powers… just using the same spell, I’ve done it before and it was OK,” Jerbo said, looking down, “I’m going to start, Amity? Can you make a mid-grade abomination?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who do you think you are talking with?” Amity asked back, and she was shaking a bit. “I can make a first-grade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I can’t, got kicked out, remember?” He said, “just mid-grade, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Uh, sure…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity walked up to them, sitting next to Jerbo, she extended her hand towards him and they both made a spell circle, pushing both together. The circle grew and spun until it was parallel to the floor, and a mass of goo started to grow on the ground under it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, Willow, please?” Jerbo said, placing the seed next to the growing goo, “just do a spell to grow the flower, I can control the rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and made the spell circle, Jerbo did the same thing from before and the seed started to grow, the vines coming out of it were transparent, and covered with thorns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed silent for a while, looking at the two spells grow and start to intertwine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think Luz and the others are OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow almost lost concentration over the spell at that question. She looked at Amity, the girl was grimacing, her eyes still on the growing goo that was starting to look blue-ish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m sure they are,” Willow responded, “Luz is tougher than what you think…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity chuckled. “Tell me about it. She is so reckless and stupid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow frowned, was Amity bad-mouthing Luz? After that morning when they walked together to class and Willow had seen them talking, and clearly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>flirting?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Oh, the stupid b-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…But she is so, so… bright,” Amity continued, “she just, can light up a room, you know? But…But she is also so dark sometimes. Like she hides something… I, I don’t know how she is so strong… and cute… she… she does this stupid thing when she smiles where she bites her lip for a second, and also how she just </span>
  <em>
    <span>has </span>
  </em>
  <span>to do eyes when she asks you to do something…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you like her,” Jerbo said, “don’t blame ya, she is objectively cute, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What?! I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo shrugged. “Could’ve fooled me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Willow said, glaring at Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who was this girl? Because that wasn’t Amity—backstabber—Blight, since when did Amity blush like that? Or talked so, so… so cheesy about someone?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like Luz!” Amity finally exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Willow muttered, “Luz is too good for you anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was far too good for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blight</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow snickered and turned back to the other girl. That was the way to get a reaction out of her? OK, be it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means just what it means,” Willow responded, “Luz is too good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity glared at her. “Oh, yeah? Why-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, what about the fact that you are a bully? Or that you are treacherous? Or maybe the fact that you prefer to look the other way when someone is in danger?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s rage died almost instantly, but Willow was just starting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or maybe you need </span>
  <em>
    <span>events, </span>
  </em>
  <span>perhaps? Like that time when you let Boscha attack me with trash-slug goo, or when you left one of the Banshees mix a bad poem about professor abominable in my homework? Or maybe when you left me to be with the popular girls?! I can go all day if you want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow! The spell!” Jerbo shouted and made her stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to the plant abomination; thorns had started to grow outside the main body. She took a couple of deep breathes and managed to revert the growth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care!” Jerbo shouted, “I get it, OK? You got a bully and that bully is messing with your best friend, I get it, believe me! But right now, said best friend is in the middle of doing something incredibly stupid and needs you! So, please, talk </span>
  <em>
    <span>to </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity instead of screaming at her, or don’t talk at all! I don’t want to lose my friends because of your stupid fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The seriousness of what he said that made Willow stop and take a second guess at everything she just said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she understood Jerbo was right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t mad for Luz, she was using Luz as an excuse… she was mad at Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… I, I lost it,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No BS.” Jerbo sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. But my only friends are out there following this plan, and if we fail I may never see them again… I don’t want to go back to being alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow nodded and looked down. She might be mad—more like </span>
  <em>
    <span>enraged </span>
  </em>
  <span>beyond reasoning—with Amity, but she needed to concentrate, for Luz at the very least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for Gus and all the people who lost their magic, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try,” Willow said and turned to Amity, the abomination witch was looking at the goo, and she was sweating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably due to maintaining her concentration with all Willow just shouted at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t change what I said; Luz is too good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity left out a chuckle. “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I don’t know that?” Amity asked back. “That Luz is too good for me? I know, Willow, believe me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I do!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a horrible person, and I’ve done horrible things, Luz could be better with anybody around but me… or Boscha- But that’s not the point!” Amity shook her head and started to take deep breathes. “…I know, I do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at Willow and the plant track witch felt almost like someone just hit her on the stomach at the sight of the single tear rolling down Amity’s cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is too good for someone like me. But I can’t push her away… I, I can’t, Willow,” Amity said, turning her face back to the floor. “She is bright, and sweet and nice, she doesn’t care about my surname or my siblings… I just didn’t want to stop the fantasy so soon…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at the ground for a few seconds and then shook her head, rubbing her face with her sleeve and looking back at Willow. This time she had a stern face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I hurt you! OK?” Amity said, “But right now, our lives are in danger, our friends are in danger, and Luz is literally about to jump towards danger…! So please… even if it’s just for today, can we try to work together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at Amity, all the things she had done flashed in front of her for a second before Luz’s face came along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was such a dork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” she muttered, “but do a single thing, give me a single reason, Blight, and I’ll end you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded at that. Willow took a deep breath and turned to Jerbo, the boy was already casting the second layer of the spell for the ice rose to grow, while also adding something to the abomination, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are impressive…” Willow whispered, looking at how the connection of both spells grew.</span>
</p><p><span>Jerbo left out a chuckle. “Not really, you should see Viney, she can put an arm back together while riding a Kraken. </span><em><span>She</span></em><span> is</span> <span>impressive.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t sell yourself short, this is impressive, I’m not really good with the winter flora.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this abomination control is pretty good,” Amity commented, “stable enough, why did they put you on detention track again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Precisely because I’m doing both right now, maybe?” Jerbo joked. “A witch needs to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>focused,</span>
  </em>
  <span> right? Bump didn’t appreciate my way of doing things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow bit her lip and looked at Amity. They were part of Bump ‘perfect students’ now and that was because both of them worked the way the principal wanted, yet, Jerbo had abilities that could rival theirs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could’ve been if they…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hear something,” Amity whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a roar soon after that and Willow made a silent motion to the other two. There was a hissing sound, followed by a shriek that filled the air for a long time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That thing needs to be stopped,” Amity whispered when they stopped hearing the shriek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you better put those geniuses’ brains to work,” Jerbo commented, “we gotta finish this abomination. I don’t want to think what Viney is going to put Luz through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow exchanged a look with Amity and they both laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know Luz pretty well if you think Viney is </span>
  <em>
    <span>pulling her</span>
  </em>
  <span> along,” Amity giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be worrying about Viney,” Willow added, “so we better hurry for </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>sake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I trust a Clawthorne to solve a problem again…” Principal Bump said, looking at the ceiling of the main hall of Hexside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled before cocking her head to the side. “Again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not pleasant memories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK…? Anyway, be ready!” Luz said, turning and making a sign to the upper floor. “You ready Viney?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready as I’ll ever be!” the girl responded, Puddles next to her, Viney turned to the griffin and gave her path on the neck. “Time to go girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Puddles made a little noise before jumping and flying through the corridors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. My. Gosh.” Luz whispered, “she just made that reference… why don’t I have a camera?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and slapped her cheeks; she then turned to the corridors. She had blocked all the other entrances with ice and three branches, all but one, and Barkus had already predicted the route the Basilisks could take if led correctly. Everything was placed and everyone in position, with Skara, smiling at her from the upper part with Viney while she prepared a confusion spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Better to be prepared for everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They just needed Jerbo, Willow, and Amity to come with the special type of abomination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can I be betting all in the troublemakers?” Bump muttered, “you are all on that track because of your lack of discipline and tendency to take dangerous decisions, I shouldn’t be listening to this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and turned to the man. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>your problem? These students came with a decent plan, and their talents in mixing magic are proving to be your </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>chance of beating this thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mixing magic is against the Emperor’s regulations!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve met that dude, and I can tell ya, his regulations are as stupid as him! He’s stupid troops are trapping us in her so that thing can eat us!” Luz covered her mouth then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump stared at her, and his eyes expanded before turning into a frown. He opened his mouth again, but before he could utter a word, a shriek filled the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming in!” Viney screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Launching the confusion spell!” Skara followed right after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Puddles came through the open corridor, the Greater Basilisk hot on her toes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring me the light! Bring me the girl!” The beast’s shout reached them, and Luz took out her glyphs cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature came with a roar and Luz stared at it. The beast was at the very least ten feet long and the claws were as long as kitchen knives, the tail had a strange form similar to the feathers of an arrow, it had long green fire tongues coming out the sides of its mouth, giving a weird arrow-like form to its head, on its neck, a long black chain with a green gem hanging from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, its eyes were pure black with bright yellow rings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rayquaza </span>
  </em>
  <span>needed to be the bad guy?!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The monster looked around its eyes landed on Bump and later on Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You!” the creature growled, “I can’t believe you were here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He told me to run free, but you are here! On my very first stop!” that thing cheered. “You are the one that man is looking for…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Bump asked, and turned to her, “You caused this?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! No!” Luz replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are the one he asked me not to devour,” the Basilisk talked again, “he said I could eat all the others and nobody would interfere as long as I captured you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it is your fault!” Bump screamed at Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t give her such a credit. She is just an extra… I’ve been planning this hit from long ago.” It chuckled, hitting Bump with its tail. “Hexside has such a great magic quality… but the security… and you, also you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Principal Bump stood up slowly. “…M-Me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, the principal, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Helheim’s Director’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one and only kid that managed to take control of a school on his sophomore year, the one with the companion from the underworld and who is known for his exceptional power… but who would’ve thought that your weakness would be the fact that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>care </span>
  </em>
  <span>about these kids!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough of your blabbering!” Bump shouted and he stood up while making a spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light disappeared and in its place an ice spear floated next to Bump, he threw it towards the Basilisk and it opened its mouth… devouring it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really thought I wouldn’t know the composition of </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>ice spells?” The Basilisk mocked him. “I’m prepared for anything you can try to throw at me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? What about this?!” Luz shouted, throwing her glyph card.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The paper was covered in frost and then it was a huge ice shard. The Basilisk roared and opened its mouth, prepared to nullify her attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it didn’t stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk screamed and started to twist over itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This… this shouldn’t be possible!” it shouted. “I know every ice spell in history!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to tell ya, pal. I make my own rules!” Luz screamed and prepared a new card.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk glared at her. “I’ll make you pay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see you try!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk attacked, an emerald fireball flew towards her and Luz dropped an ice glyph card to the ground. The ice barrier rose just in time to block the flames, but the intensity of the explosion threw her backward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are needed alive, but not unharmed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave her alone!” Principal Bump shouted, blasting a piece of the fallen wall against the creature, hitting it on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk growled at him. “Someone is anxious to die!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz coughed while standing again; she rubbed her face with her arm and looked up to the beast. It was laughing and spinning around Principal Bump, its eyes never leaving the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The principal cast a spell and raised a piece of the ground, throwing it against it. “Why are you doing this if it’s not for Lucelyn?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Why? Why?!” it replied after dodging the attack, “I don’t need a </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I just want to eat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Principal Bump!” Luz screamed and threw another ice glyph card at the creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The card crumbled upon itself this time and became a storm of small ice shards that stabbed the creature… and then melted right away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk turned towards her and laughed. “I… Do I no longer have to think about that weakness? I don’t have to worry ‘bout it! That monster made me unstoppable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a boss fight in the second stage?!” Luz whined and jumped aside, barely avoiding a new blast of fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk moved again, faster than before, and hit her with its claw, Luz felt the burning sting and the tearing sensation in a matter of seconds before the sore an itching covered it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hit a wall, hard!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” someone screamed in the distance, but she couldn’t focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She only felt her middle, and the wet sensation gave it away. She was bleeding, a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was never late; Amity Blight didn’t get to places late, ever!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Until that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo and Willow had attacked when they reached the main hallway; the Basilisk was in the middle of trying to eat principal Bump’s magic while the man was aided by a griffin and Skara from an upper level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Amity didn’t care about the probably incredible battle, no. She just cared about Luz lying on the ground while Viney cast a healing spell multiple times on her, and their only protection was a piece of the ground acting as a wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was next to them before her mind could process it, and Titan, there was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much blood.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney looked at her for a second before focusing back on Luz. “The Basilisk wasn’t hurt by the ice; it has some kind of resistance now… it… it hit Luz while we discovered that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How did you let this happen? How did the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Principal</span>
  </em>
  <span> let this happen?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not in much control over things right now, mate!” Viney snapped at her, making Amity back off. “That thing is immune to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> we know can hurt it! Sorry if we are freaking out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Don’t… fight you two…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes moved from Viney to Luz. The girl smiled at Amity when their eyes met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are late,” Luz joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gaped and groaned. “Don’t you ever scare me like that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry… kinda out of my control if someone tries to stab me…” Luz pushed herself to a sitting position, but stopped with a groan. “Damn it, did it get to the kidney?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I think,” Viney said, “I healed most of it, but I can’t close the open wound… you are going to bleed out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Amity asked, “But you are a healer!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ve used most of my magic in closing the </span>
  <em>
    <span>lethal </span>
  </em>
  <span>wounds, you’re welcome!” Viney bit back, “I can’t… just can’t close the wound, I barely have the magic to stop the bleeding!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No, I-I’ll try, just tell me the spell!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a third-grade spell! You can’t just use it if you want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But there has to be a way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t have magic for it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop!” Luz shouted and looked at Amity. “Hey, I know this is pretty freaky, but you need to calm, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you ask me to stay calm? You are bleeding!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, believe me, the pain is still a jerk, But I’ve been through worse, recently, too,” Luz responded, and took Amity’s hand, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. “But if you keep freaking out, what’s about to happen it’s going to make you pass out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s coming? What are you-?” Amity began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just,” Luz interrupted her, “Just promise me, please, that you’ll take deep breaths.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity locked eyes with Luz and stared at her for a solid minute—maybe less—before giving out a shaking, hesitant nod. Luz smiled at her, a tiny smile with the corners of her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Ames, I promise you, everything will be OK.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… You better not be lying, dingus. And you know I don’t like nicknames.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled at that and turned to look at Viney before saying the worst thing Amity had ever heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to stitch me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney stared at Luz before voicing the doubt Amity and her shared. “You want me to do what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved a hand to her side bag and took out a ball of plastic threat and a hook-like-needle. She then took a ‘glyph card’ and made a fireball, getting half the needle inside the flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What in the hell is she doing?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, she then forced herself to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I was right on taking this with me…” Luz muttered, “I really wanted this day to be a good one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at how Luz got the needle out of the fire and moved it to the end of the threat, all while the blood was going out of her. Titian, she was right in making her promise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viney, I need you to stitch me, close the wound with this-” Luz began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do that! Not a single sane person would do that!” the other girl interrupted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t react to Viney’s scream and she just attached the plastic thread to the burning red needle. Amity saw in awe how Luz also placed her hand in her wound and pressed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to ignore the painful groan Luz left out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to stitch me,” Luz repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I told you that’s insane and I won’t do it, don’t you hear?! Are you crazy?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m bleeding here!” Luz hissed back, “Look, you don’t have any more magical power, and while you did fix my arteries, I think, but if we don’t close the cut they are going to separate again! And Amity can’t cast complex healing magic, right? But she should be able to help with the closed wound! If you don’t help me now, I’m going to pass out here, and quite honestly, I’m the only one who can attack that stupid imposter right now without getting my magic sucked!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you have your side open! And your powers didn’t do-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something like this never stopped me before and it won’t now,” Luz said, “I’ll find a way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been in this situation before?!” Viney and Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gals, not the time!” Luz flinched and looked at Viney again. “Look, I don’t want to ask for this, if my left hand was good I’ll do it myself, but I need both and I can’t use them now, I need your help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your left hand?” Amity whispered, looking at the said limb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she noticed the blood covering the hand Luz was using to hold hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t move it, and if you let go I’m gonna pass out,” Luz said a weak smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m gonna kill you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could just let me bleed at this rate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Viney, the other girl looked back at her and they shared a worried look. How could Luz say she would do something like giving herself stitches on her own?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… but…” Viney said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viney,” Luz said, and her voice was so soft, so… tired. “I’ll guide you through it, you just relax, because I need your hands to be steady.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was basically in a horror movie from there on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok…” Viney said, and took the needle, “Titan! This is burning, how did you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time, just… just take a deep breath and close my wound with your hand, I’ll help you to keep it closed… you need to pierce the corner of the cut and sew it slowly…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you are not going to feel it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Imma feel every second of it, but we are in a rush, Bump is losing ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at the fight, and her heart sank a bit when she saw Bump hit the ground and the griffin was thrown against some lockers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney took a shivering breath. “I…I understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Amity?” Luz called her, “I’m gonna need you to talk to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk? About what am I supposed to talk about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Anything… I…I just need you to distract me from-” Luz’s words got cut by a scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Viney said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! No… you are doing great!” Luz said, looking down at the wound. “Take a long part through the skin and then do a small knot at the end of the threat and at the part that is just out of my skin and cut it, fast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How can she be so composed?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity wondered, looking at Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could she even try to talk about?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes scanned the girl and she saw her uniform, the grey color of a trackless student. She had seen it before but the situation was far too compromised… fine, their actual situation wasn’t really that appealing either, but she’d take anything she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you manage to get into the detention track?” Amity managed to ask, her voice shaking. “You were perfectly fine on the potions one last time I checked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled. “I may... may have not… used a crystal ball.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? But those are only for prediction track students.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And a teacher caught you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bump did.” Luz groaned. “Viney, are we done?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost!” Viney replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, I really miss the numb sensation…” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really live to attract problems don’t you?” Amity joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja! Tell me about it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at her and bit her lip. “How come you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>used </span>
  </em>
  <span>to doing this to yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stopped for a second; all her shaking and pain seemed to vanish. She shook her head and it was like the split hadn't happened. Luz looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Used to is… a bit far, more like, I had to do it two, three times and I practiced a lot how to do it… I had to do some… things, in my hometown, and those things didn’t always end well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure how to put it. Once I had to ride a unicorn and she threw me against poison ivy… </span>
  <em>
    <span>estupido caballo…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You rode a unicorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it was just once…” Luz flinched and closed her eyes. “I’ve also met a wizard back then, he helped me to make my bracelet… somewhat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somewhat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At the end who helped me was a fairy,” Luz commented, “you’d like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like fairies here,” Amity smiled down at her, “why do you think I would like the ones from there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two are astonishingly pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity felt the heat reach her cheeks and she could only think.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “What…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m done!” Viney said, breaking Amity’s train of thought. “This was so stressful! Who in his right mind created it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A desperate person,” Luz mumbled, “now… could you teach Amity the basic healing spell? I’m still hurt…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right!” Viney turned to face her. “Here, look at the spell and re-cast it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, shaking her head and looking directly at the spell circle Viney just used.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure how in hell that was going to work out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Is now or never…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought and cast the same spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made the spell circle and closed her eyes, her mind rushing through the situation and making her shiver… until she thought about Luz, her smile, her laugh, and her voice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, she thought of how useful her magic could be at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… You did it, for Titan’s sake, you did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity opened her eyes at Viney’s cheering and looked at Luz's wound. It was still there, sadly enough, but it didn’t look fresh, more like a few days old. Luz sighed in—what Amity supposed was—relief and looked at her, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you could do it,” she whispered, sitting up, “could you try fixing my left arm too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity took a second to react before nodding many times. “S…S-sure”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the arm, and the cut there wasn’t nearly as bad as the one on her side. Amity took a deep breath and cast the healing spell again, this time the wound closed slowly, but it had closed enough. Luz moved her arm and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, now I can deal damage to that thing!” She said and tried to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And just in time it seems,” Viney whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them had to duck to avoid being hit by the flying griffin that crashed against the block of vines and ice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotta move, keep them safe!” Luz said, standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity held her hand, stopping her. “You can barely stand!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I don’t need to stand to do magic! I won’t let this thing hurt you or anybody else!” Luz squeezed Amity’s hand back. “I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit her lip and looked at the Greater Basilisk, the beast had finally caught the principal and the only thing keeping it busy was a pretty bad standing abomination and Jerbo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…OK, but you owe me a smoothie after this.” Amity finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What sense does that have?” Luz asked, smirking. “Sure, but I gotta go, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and left her hand go. Luz walked five steps and stopped, getting her glyphs cards out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You make me worry sick, that’s why you own me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, frowning. She wasn’t going to leave everything to Luz…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta hurry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz just </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to scream. “Hey! Butt-face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a bad decision, she could recognize that much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk charged against her. “Come here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In your dreams!” Luz responded and threw five glyph cards at it, they became fireballs and exploded when they made contact with the beast. “How was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was nothing!” The Basilisk replied, emerging from the smoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh please! She is immune to fire too? What level is this floor boss?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jumped to the left, barely avoiding a fire blast. Luz used her cards and made a giant ice spike that hit the Basilisk on the chin, knocking it back, before it could react she had already used a second glyph card and a giant vine punched it on the face, smashing it against a column. She saw frozen thorns and swelling cuts all over the thin body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was so glad Jerbo and Willow had come when they did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk got up again, Luz caught better sight of its wounds, even when it was apparently not vulnerable to ice anymore. Jerbo, Amity, and Willow’s shared abomination had managed to deal some damage, same with principal Bump and his practical way of dealing with debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like my buddies managed to leave a toll on you!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk roared at her. “That stupid abomination may have been a nuisance but I’m still ready to kill ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Really? I see you are bleeding a lot too!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, throwing multiple cards against it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk blasted a new fireball and it burned the three branches Luz grew, the ice stakes barely blocked the attack. She rolled on the ground and groaned when a burning sensation shot through her middle. The stitches may have been cured a lot by the spell, But even then, they were stitches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to rush it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You damn brat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on! Say something that is not </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pokemon*</span>
  </em>
  <span> please!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blasted fire at it, the creature received them head-on and she took advantage of it, managing to left a plant glyph on the floor before jumping back and letting the tree grow and hit the creature full on the belly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eat that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are paying for that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz dodged the new fire blast and looked around. Willow and Jerbo were both hardly moving, principal Bump was protecting and healing them, Puddles was out cold and Viney was next to her trying to do something for the griffin and…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where is Amity?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are all alone!” The Basilisk shouted and made Luz focus. “That monster asked me to bring you alive… but once I’ve devoured you I’ll get my revenge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Revenge?” Luz repeated, “Revenge for what? He gave you a powerful amulet that makes you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz's eyes went to the chain and she wanted to slap herself </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Invincible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He took my pride!” The Basilisk screamed, throwing a new fire blast at her. “I’m going to regain it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know that under all that scaly thing was something like pride! I’ll always see you like a simple snake!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk jumped at her, Luz threw a glyph card down and a huge cage of tree branches grew barely in time to block the tackle from the monster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you. Ever! Call me a snake!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, family problems?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s mockery didn’t last long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk growled and the flames coming from the sides of its mouth grew, burning the cage. Luz tensed and looked around, the others were safe at the very least, she got her hand into her side bag and her pockets, ready to throw all she had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she only had one last card.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Really?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She hissed in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be ready to go to the afterlife!” The Basilisk said, finally breaking through the branches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Butt-face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You could ask Luz anything about beauty, really, she had millions of answers, but if you asked her what was beautiful at that moment, she would have had just one answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that would be that there was nothing more beautiful than Amity screaming ‘butt-face’ to a monster while getting her abomination on its face and taking the stupid chain from its neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That girl is on fire!” </span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought, and she then gasped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“She made me do a reference…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity shouted, “Heads up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reacted and looked up; Amity had tossed her the stone from the chain. Luz caught it and looked at it, the stone was pure green and it had… fire inside?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool amulet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up and saw the Basilisk again, it didn’t have the flames coming out its mouth and its skin looked a lot more slippery than before, its tail had changed, too. Instead of the arrow feathers-like end, it now seemed like the tail of a leech.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That is pretty much what it is, a giant jerk leech,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, giggling. “Make me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the only one worthy of that power!” It shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Well, if that’s the case… then nobody should have it!” Luz raised the amulet over her head and threw it against the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect it to explode.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz flew up the three freaking floors and looked down, she felt happy for the high ceiling and terrified of the fall… but she saw the Basilisk, just under her. She reached for her ice glyph and tapped it, the paper crumbled and Luz unconsciously tapped the spell with her own magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Something long, something sharp…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and the image of Bump attacking the creature before came to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s it!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and felt how her magic returned, leaving the rest of it, the magic around her follow its course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t!” The Basilisk screamed, looking around in panic. “I’m supposed to be invincible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“News flash, jerk!” Luz shouted, her ice spear already over her head. “You may have a cursed amulet! But I have the power of anime and friendship!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s nonsense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then eat that nonsense, sucka!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s fall made her land on top of the Basilisk with a crushing force, piercing its chest with the weapon. Luz considered it a miracle that she didn’t receive a full blow for the fall. The Basilisk left a powerful growl out, almost throwing her to the ground. But Luz managed to hold herself in her place and glared at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, return my friend's magic!” With that said, Luz twisted the spear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk screamed and looked at her. “Y…Y-You don’t… stand… a chance… against him…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Him?” Luz repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Basilisk smiled. “I’ll… see you… in hell…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at it. She caught the moment when life left its eyes, when the breathing stopped and the magic it had captured went in all directions, leaving it from the wound she just made on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She killed it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…How could it go with such cliché last words?” Luz whispered emotionlessly, in that moment all her strength left her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She woke up after a few minutes, finding Willow looking down at her with tears in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just keep worrying me, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was intense…” Luz sighed, looking at the Basilisk… corpse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had just killed a creature… the thought made her shiver and turn away. She had seen enough blood for that day already, bleed a lot too. The unicorn from a month ago was such a hard thing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m getting insensible…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would say something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned to face the principal in front of her, Bump had a stern look and his shoulders were stiff. He walked past her and stopped to look down at the remains of the beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved Hexside,” he said after a few seconds, “with a weird kind of magic, nonetheless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled at that. “Ja, it’s almost like you are accepting that mixing magic saved the school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m smart enough to know when I’ve made a mistake,” Bump said, “those students and their magic were the only things able to hold the beast, even if I wanted to take credit, I couldn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, um…” Luz shrugged, changing her weight from one foot to the other. “So… What now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump sighed. “I’ll let them choose their tracks, new magic could be the one thing this school needs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t think so,” he scoffed, “if they cause any more trouble I’ll feed them to the choosy hat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter. But there is </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>that matters,” he said, turning towards her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell the Emperor himself was after your head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and looked up with wide eyes, she took a step back and tried to reach for her, something inside her side bag, but she found it empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz kept herself from groaning and looked back at Bump. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The amulet the beast had. It was one of the few things I gave the Emperor when he took the throne,” he said, “plus, the guards ran off once the Basilisk was defeated. Not a single one of them came inside…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, you gave that thing to him?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be so surprised now; he is younger than me anyway. But… he did some good, the wild magic was around and people kept getting hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at him, and she saw the same thing as the first day, an old man who knew more than he showed. Just like all the sages from movies she had seen so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Principal Bump is the quest granting wizard…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz thought, cooking her head to the left. “So, the amulet told ya that the one who sent the Basilisk…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was the Emperor himself?” Bump finished the question. “I’m afraid there is no other explanation… even if I would like to have one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pursed her lips and looked down. So that was what the Basilisk meant, Belos was doing all he could to reach her. But still… why doesn’t he go for her himself?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ll ask again,” Bump said, making her look up, “what did you do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked the man in the eyes and took a deep breath. Was it wise to tell him? She was already playing with fire by having Bump conscious about who her mother was, but exposing that she was a—somewhat—personal enemy of the emperor?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anyway, she didn’t seem to have much of a choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” she said, and she was happy it wasn’t a lie. “He came to me one day and tried to take me away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did?” Bump asked with a smirk. “The Emperor hasn’t left his palace in decades! And he came out, just for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded. “Pretty much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ridiculous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As ridiculous as having a supposedly extinct creature dead in the hallway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz and Bump tensed and turned, there were Willow and Amity, both girls were frowning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss. Park?” Bump asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With all due respect, Principal Bump, we are already past the ridiculous stage,” Willow said, walking up to Luz. “You OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…As much as I can be?” Luz replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You promised everything will be fine,” Amity commented, walking up to her while glaring, “and you went and fell on top of that thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was the only way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity kept the glare, Luz made herself smaller and smaller under the judging eyes. Luz turned towards Willow, just to find a pretty similar stare from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I’m sorry…?” She finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both girls smiled and left out a giggle before Willow hugged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t fight against monsters without me,” Willow said, “or I won’t be able to keep you alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled. “I’ll try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you try not to get in problems with the law, or the Emperor’s coven, too?” Amity asked, crossing her arms, “I’m getting tired of beating security every day we see each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t promise that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you promised Willow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m her best friend!” the plant track girl explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gaped. “And what am I supposed to be, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two… knew?” Bump’s question interrupted them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the man and then to her friends, Amity shared a look with Willow before both of them turned towards the principal and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unbelievable…” he let out with a gasp. “How is this possible? You are supposedly two of my best students!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we still are, but we are people, too,” Willow said, “and our friend just happened to have a really bad family situation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t have her here if she is going to attract disaster!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, please!” Amity cut in. “Luz is not more troublesome than your last year student that spontaneously combusts every hour!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, there is a student like that?” Luz whispered, and Willow nodded at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“So cool…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, her mind trying to form an image of a student like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a biological condition!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And so Luz decided who her mother was?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump didn’t have a response to that, and Luz was so grateful about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are just trying to blame her so you won’t be targeted by the Emperor!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what is wrong with that?!” Bump snapped back. “You are aiming to be part of that coven, aren’t you Miss. Blight?! Why would you jeopardize your future?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt a shiver run down her spine at that question and looked at Amity. The teal haired girl was stunned as well, and that just made Luz feel dread creeping its way inside her. Amity was aiming for the Emperor’s coven, she was sure about it being her future, hell, they even fought about it like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>shonen </span>
  </em>
  <span>manga once!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reached out for the girl’s hand. “Amity…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what I want anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Bump, Luz and Willow shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head and looked at the ground. “I don’t know anymore if I want to be part of that coven.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? You’ll abandon all because of a puny friend?!” Bump raged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not that, and it’s not only because of that!” Amity snapped back, glaring at the man. “Don’t you see?! The Emperor sent this thing, the coven didn’t show up even with all the students getting hurt, in fact, they made </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>the students were at risk!” She shouted and gestured to their surroundings. “They capture people on a daily basis just because they are different and they even attacked a kid with lethal force! Why would I ever want to be part of something like that, that exists only to take the freedom of the people away, why would I want to be part of a private army of jerks?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wow…she is amazing…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz blushed a little at her thought and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t the time or the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Principal Bump,” Luz spoke, walking to stand next to Amity. “I didn’t do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> but be here, but the Emperor sent guards, his coven after me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz’s only crime so far is being born,” Willow said, holding Luz’s shoulder, “in the Clawthorne family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to condemn a kid for who their parents are?” Amity asked at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bump stared at the three of them, glaring at Luz, and the girl flinched, looking away. She felt Willow’s hand tightening a little and also Amity’s hand taking hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No! Of course I won’t!” he finally said. “I’m the principal, not a slouch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… So I can keep studying here?” Luz asked looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I told Eda when she signed your inscription, Hexside is a safe place for you both.” Bump turned his back on them. “But please, try not to destroy it while you are here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared after him, looking at the destruction that had happened that day, all the things she had faced, all the danger, pain, emotions, fear, happiness, adrenaline…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was her first day?!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My god… what am I gonna do to top this?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought before cracking into a fit of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Lucelyn!” Bump called from the other side of the main hallway. “I’ve decided to let you try all the tracks, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her answer was a strange feeling on her body, she looked down to see that her uniform wasn’t dark grey anymore, but a rainbow combination of all the track colors!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared and grinned. “Thanks, Principal Bump! I’ll study everything this school has to teach me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man laughed and finally disappeared after turning a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned to Amity and Willow, finding both girls smiling at her, she didn’t resist it and hugged them both. Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus got into the hug too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you managed to get us to study dual tracks!” Jerbo exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney rubbed her face in Luz’s hair. “You are impressive, mate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barkus barked happily, and Luz laughed, hard, along with all the rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys!” they heard and separated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara was helping Gus, and they both were running towards them, Boscha standing with the rest of the students in the corridor, looking at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you beat the monster?!” Gus asked them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the teal haired witch and smiled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, they had to tell a story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid and useless beast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora flinched and closed her eye. She had never seen the Emperor that angry before, he was livid and his presence overwhelmed her, she looked at the door, waiting for Lilith to cross in any moment and give her a reason to go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the very least an excuse…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he stopped and looked at the side, she followed his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small table, that had on top of it a stone, a shard of metal, and some tools. She had wondered why those were there. And the Emperor’s hands moved towards them before she could voice her concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took the shard, and it shinned for a second in red light, some kind of engraving in it seemed to react to the touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gave it the perfect tool for the job, I took away its weaknesses and still…” he muttered and closed his hand around the shard. “It managed to loose against kids and an old man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My lord, that old man is Hieronymus Bump, sir, one of the few eldest witches left,” Kikimora said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos hadn’t moved from his throne during all his complaining, but at that moment he stood up and walked towards her, stopping at a single, mere step from her, he reached out and patted her on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware Kiki, I was just voicing out my frustrations…” he commented, letting her go, “indeed, if you wish for something to be done, you must do it by yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos turned and walked towards his throne, Kikimora saw the slight limp he had to make while walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora took a deep breath before talking again. “Have you fully recovered my lord?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No, not really.” Belos sighed, taking a seat. “But I will. soon… so, for now, let the girl be… for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, Kiki.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was cut off by a dark claw closing itself over her neck and pulling her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your little stun in the knee, the market, and now on Hexside will become suspicious,” he said, “so cease at once with you little hunt.” He looked at her. “I want her to be found, but I don’t desire for it to be public.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good…” he said and dropped her. “Now, get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora turned around and walked outside the throne room. Having him back and out from his room had been a nice change of pace that morning… but now she wasn’t so sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I almost feel sorry for the Clawthorne offspring…” she whispered, “she doesn’t know what’s coming…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t expect to see a crowd around Luz and her little group of friends when she picked her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither did she expect the wounds her kid had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, people should understand the mass of emotions that led her to give Luz an hour of lecturing while she treated her injuries back at home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just can’t believe you were so reckless!” Eda said and finished placing the bandages around Luz’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz flinched and sighed. “I’m sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You better!” Eda shouted and Luz closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Owl Lady’ stared and sighed before she moved and hugged Luz, her left hand brushing the kid’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was worried, y’know? You don’t have your bracelet and you are barely recovering all your strength… I just-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I know, I’m sorry...” Luz interrupted her, “But I couldn’t just leave that thing take my friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know kiddo, you are too loyal for your own good.” Eda laughed a little pulling away from her. “You could at least try to come with better schemes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t have much time to think…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not excuse!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and Eda had to bite her lip to avoid laughing. She was always the one getting lectured, not the one lecturing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The feeling was nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Luz’s notebook, and noticed the new stack of cards laying around, multiple markers, and other books.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are making new cards, heh?” Eda commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up at her and then to the multiple things on the floor. “Kinda need to, when I had my bracelet I could take it easy, but now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it, I get it.” Eda moved to one of the already finished cards and stared at it. “How did you get it anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bracelet,” she clarified, “you never told me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a long silence after that, and Eda had to turn back towards Luz to confirm the teen hadn’t fallen asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was just… staring at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s…It’s not precisely a long or… happy story,” Luz muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had seen that, when Luz really didn’t want to talk about something—usually Camila—she would lose all her energy, like she had run out of power and needed a recharge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I made it,” Luz said, sitting up. “I was on a trip to this place called New Orleans.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo, you don’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s OK,” Luz interrupted her, and Eda was surprised by the seriousness on her eyes. “I…I think I should tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at Luz and did one of the things her old self would’ve never, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>have done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only if you are sure, Luz,” Eda whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at their hands, and nodded slowly. “…It was a school trip, I was just getting to understand all my glyphs… Camila, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami,</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t thrilled about that, so she took all my cards and told me not to make any more while I was away…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved and reached for her backpack, taking a small notebook out of it, Eda had never seen the thing, it was just… plain. She saw Luz opening it and stared at a perfect image of the bracelet her kid had used so many times, but there were more things, letters, other small drawings around it, and even some runes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“During the trip, the other kids weren’t kind to me, so I spent a lot of time alone,” Luz continued, running her finger over the bracelet silhouette. “I was trying to come with a way of using my magic without my glyphs at the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you designed the thing?” Eda asked, not caring to try to stop the smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was talented, granted! But hell, she was a hella impressive kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled. “I wish, but no, I didn’t. My idea was far more similar to try and make spell circles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There were these crystals back in the human realm,” Luz explained looking up, “you could just… draw with a light on the air, some technology had come to some similar things, but none of those were good for magic use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Techno-what?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, but didn’t say anything, Luz had stopped talking and was staring at the nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was the third day of the trip,” she finally continued, and the expression on her face made Eda worry. “The others thought it would </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get the weird kid to get lost in the swamp for a few minutes… the-they told me to play with them for the first time in the whole trip and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid,” Eda stopped her, moving closer to her and wrapping Luz in a hug. “It’s OK, It’s OK… I’m here now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was not OK, Eda was about to start a revenge mission on all those stupid, selfish, che-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I met a wizard there,” Luz said and Eda’s mind was back on the present. “He knew I was different… now that I think about it, he was probably someone who got vanished from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most surely…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He…He helped me to understand what the glyphs were… or what he thought they were,” Luz explained and took the notebook again, getting it closer to their position. “We didn’t have much time, so we just… rushed over it, but we designed the bracelet, he helped me to get the things for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at the materials list Luz had in the pages, and she recognized most of them. Some siren tears, a bit of demon fang, she also saw a light stone—those were used for training wands, of course, she had one—and even a bit of vampire blood, she had pretty much everything with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was that one thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is a ‘S-shard’? Can’t say I’ve heard of it,” Eda commented, pointing at the note.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed at the question and fidget in her arms. Eda looked at her and found the kid looking almost…distressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…It’s not a ‘what’ but… a ‘who’,” Luz finally managed to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A ‘S-shard’ is…is a part of the soul of the person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Eda moved away from Luz and held her by the shoulders, making the kid look at her. “You tampered with your soul?! Luz! That’s how curses are made!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know </span>
  <em>
    <span>now!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz replied and looked down, she was shivering. “B-But I didn’t know at the time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s heart was beating way too fast, even for her. Luz messed with her </span>
  <em>
    <span>soul? </span>
  </em>
  <span>That was madness, even in wild magic, the soul was something nobody should ever try to touch! The soul, the magic bile, and the heart were things all witches knew not to mess with!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That would explain that dude’s banishment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...I didn’t know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s little cry was enough for Eda to become aware of what she was doing. She moved her hands down Luz’s arms and sighed, trying to calm herself down at least a bit so they could get into the important part of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I get it, kiddo, sorry,” Eda said, “can you tell me more?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed in silence for so long that Eda thought she had just blown the entire chance of knowing </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I followed his instructions, and started the ritual… but he wasn’t trying to help me, but himself,” Luz finally spoke. “He tried to take all my soul, something about becoming more powerful than anyone and going back… I-I fought him, pushed him away as I could but I…I wasn’t strong enough…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was planning a murder; she could find the stupid wizard, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was about to…” Luz stopped and hugged herself, Eda got a hand to her hair and started brushing it. “…I-I was saved by a fairy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fairy? But those snobs don’t care about anyone.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fairy had a personal grudge against the wizard, so she helped me, she taught me how to make the bracelet right… I… I used a bit of my soul on the metal and the crystals, not even enough for me to notice it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved her hand again and turned the pages, there, Eda saw a poem- no, an </span>
  <em>
    <span>incantation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fairy told me to say this… and when I did, the ritual ended, the bracelet was done…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded, looking at the paper for maybe a bit longer than she should. “And… What about the wizard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got found at that moment, so he flew,” Luz said, “he didn’t get too far, thou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was weak after trying to… y’know. So he couldn’t defend himself when the Fairy found him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda shivered, she had seen what those little things were capable of when enraged. Whoever that guy was, he had paid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Not enough, she was reviving the dude and killing him!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hid the bracelet and never used it until I got back home,” Luz commented, she was still a bit shaky, but she was more controlled, composed. “Camila wasn’t happy about me disappearing, I got grounded for three weeks because of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? It wasn’t your fault, kid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t seem to care, apparently, I should’ve been more ‘intuitive’ with the wizard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t believe it! How could that woman blame Luz for what happened, how could she be so…so…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like her mother when she had been caught up on problems.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt like something just washed over her. Eda’s mother had been exactly like Luz’s. Every time Eda wasn’t at fault, it didn’t matter, it was just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>Eda </span>
  </em>
  <span>to make a mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had started to make them just because of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How messed up is this?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, covering her eyes with her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda,” Luz whispered and made her look down. “I…I know my cards are not as good as my bracelet… b-but I…I don’t want to try to make another one…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to feel that way again,” Luz whispered while looking at her feet. “So…So empty, so lonely… when I touched my soul I just felt so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone… </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t, I can’t feel like that again…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you don’t have to, I promise you that, Kiddo,” Eda said pulling Luz closer again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a long time, long enough for King to make his appearance and demanding to be included on that night sleep with them. Of course, Luz couldn’t deny anything to the little furball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And led Eda to the place she was, staring at the ceiling with Luz sleeping soundly next to her while hugging King.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“These two are just unbearable,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, and turned her head to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s notebook was still out.</span>
</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The art this week is in blank! Why? It's been a crazy week, tbh. I'll update once it's painted, but till then, well, you are free to imagine the combinations.<br/>Aside . From . That .<br/>What did you think my deazr readers?! Do you hate me? I wouldn't be surprised if some did, I guess is natural. Now, I played with this chapter a lot in my head, to be fully honest with ya, and It was painfully hard to narrow it down to this (I mean, I say narrow, but it's still barely under 85 pages...) and I really liked the final result, even thou I would've loved to have it beta-ed. But deadlines, deadlines, I force myself on them for a reason.<br/>Now, onto the chapter!!!!! Hope you liked it! Who else saw Belos doing this? Or the snap against Kikimora? do tell, do tell!<br/>I've been considering if making a spin-off series of this about the things I'm not going to show ya (Luz past with magic and other stuff) but don't know, any thoughts?<br/>What did you think of the Bracelet's origin story? Anyone else had the same murder intent Eda did?<br/>I'm asking a lot this time around, aren't I? Ops, there I go again.<br/>New projects, new chapters, art and music... I think I'm living up to my new years promises so far, aren't I? That the second part would be more than the first.<br/>I'm considering making so fixing to the story, too, but that's for another time.<br/>I gotta bail on ya because my internet even today is not cooperating and I'm hard on time, but I hope you enjoyed and that you'll stick around for next chapter! This week I have a little spoiler for you for next chapter since I feel like I don't give you enough love readers!!!!!</p><p>....................................................................................................................................................................................................................<br/>“I can’t believe you just gave our chances to scam people at a carnival!”<br/>“Oh, shut it, will ya? We have other things to deal with!”<br/>Eda glared at King while the little demon whined at her, she could do with many things, but not with the stupid fur-ball making noise every three seconds about how he wanted to spent all day and night with Luz. The demon had resulted clingier than what she had ever expected.<br/>“I still don’t know why we are here,” King said.<br/>Eda stopped walking and turned to face him. “We are here because the kid just went outside the house wearing clothes I had from my human treasure day, and that’s not something we should be proud of.”<br/>“But you sell those things as fine clothes! What is the big difference? ‘Sides, Luz actually made it look nice.”<br/>“Not the point, we are getting the kid some useful clothes.”<br/>“Can’t believe the mother act got that far in your head.”<br/>....................................................................................................................................................................................................................</p><p>Yup, I'll leave you with that little part! I just love writing mom Eda, it warms my heart.</p><p>As always, I'll try to reply to your comments, as long as I don't leak more spoilers than what I already did, so please my readers, cope with me.<br/>No more to say, no more to share<br/>I'll read ya around~<br/>G_U out, Peace~~~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Small Catastrophe, Problematic Allegory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Side A<br/>First day behind them, Luz and C.O had been having a regular time, with Belos finally getting his troops away. But when Hexside is closed by the day, the carnival is in town and young hearts beat faster.<br/>What kind of problems will come to Luz when the source is not the dangerous Emperor of the Isles... but her actuals friends?<br/>Side B<br/>Eda decides that Luz having only one outfit and her uniform is no good, and settles in a horrible, hazardous and challenging mission-!<br/>Buy her teenage kid clothes.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A whole week has passed, and I come to you once again with more lore, more character development, and more need for reviews since I'm that kinda dude.<br/>Aside from my introduction that just so happens to be ominous because I got a few things going on, today's chapter is dedicated to all the fanfiction that is a slow burn and managed to get me to cry more than one time!<br/>I don't have much to say about this one chapter in specific because anything I say could be spoiler so I'll leave with a playlist and I'll be reading ya at the end!<br/>Playlist for today: I won't say I'm in Love - Hercules Movie/Common Sense - Joshua Basset/Flying Solo - Julie and The Phantoms Soundtrack/Demons - Jacob Lee/Control - Zoe Wees<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its characters do not belong to me, neither do the songs I'm placing up. This work is merely to share entertainment with you all.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Make what you think is right, even if it takes a million mistakes.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>And it might not be ideal, nor fair,</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>But the universe will send retribution to you.”</em> </b>
</p><p>“Mittens!” She heard Emira’s scream. “You are going to be late at this rate!”</p><p>“I’m coming!”</p><p>Amity finished fixing her hair and looked over her bed. She overslept, and now school was about to start in a few minutes. She couldn’t be late!</p><p>Especially not that day!</p><p>“I’m here!” Amity shouted reaching downstairs.</p><p>She didn’t expect Edric and Emira to still be on their jammies and drinking juice.</p><p>“What’s going on?”</p><p>“School was canceled,” Edric answered her.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>Emira grinned at her. “There was pixy infestation! Some dude from ‘Beast keeping’ made them mad and they took over half school!”</p><p>“So we have a free day!” Edric said.</p><p>“All days are free, Edric.”</p><p>“Yeah, but today is free for ‘freedom’, dear sister.”</p><p>Amity stopped listening after that; she groaned and turned around, walking upstairs again. If she wasn’t going to go to school, she might as well get changed. Her hand moved almost by reflex and summoned her scroll. Sure enough, Boscha was already making plans for going out—in which she didn’t care if you <em> had </em>the time—and Skara was sending lots of messages about what they could do.</p><p>But Amity cared only for one chat.</p><p>She opened Luz’s chat. They had been talking all nights—more than before, if it was possible—after the whole mess her first day was, even if it had already been a week since it happened. Luz was naturally blending into Hexside, and Amity was one of the happiest people to have the Clawthorne around.</p><p><em> “I really wanted to have abomination class together today…” </em>Amity’s thoughts got cut when a little ‘ring’ came from her scroll.</p><p>She had a new message from Luz.</p><p>[Luz—Dork, messy idiot—Clawthorne]: School is out, but I got an invitation to a carnival! Wanna hang?</p><p>Amity stared at her scroll for what seemed like an eternity. What should she reply? That was just a ‘friends going out to have fun’ kind of meeting or was it…?</p><p>“Oh. Someone got a date?” Amity heard a voice singing in her ear.</p><p>She let out a scream and turned to find Emira smirking in her direction. “Don’t do that!”</p><p>“Not promise!” her sister sang, leaning closer. “So? What are you gonna do? Are you going to hold hands? Hug? Maybe, k-i-s-s?”</p><p>Amity felt the heat going up to her cheeks and made a quick spell, setting her sister’s pants on fire. When Emira turned down and started to run to get something to put the flames out, Amity sprinted into her room, locking the door behind her.</p><p>That was a close call.</p><p>She looked down to her scroll again; Luz had added a heart emoji on another message along with a question mark.</p><p>“It’s not a date…” Amity whispered before typing her response. “It’s not…”</p><p>[Amity—I act like I don’t care but secretly do—Blight]: Sure, where do we meet?</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>Willow sighed as she placed the last package on the counter. “Is this all, dad?”</p><p>“Yes, thank you so much, pumpkin,” Aaron replied, smiling. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else to do today?”</p><p>“I’m free, so don’t worry about it!” Willow smiled and flexed her bicep. “I’m the tough one of the Park’s so far!”</p><p>“I think Marcus will disagree.”</p><p>Willow giggled and turned around and walked outside, the last box was already inside, so she just took a deep breath before something caught her attention.</p><p>It was a flyer.</p><p>“A carnival?” Willow whispered, taking the thing from the post it was attached to. “And it’s today! I should call Gus and Luz!”</p><p>Willow summoned her scroll and looked through her contacts, sending the invitation to Gus, she then looked for Luz name-</p><p>“Amity, come on!”</p><p>“There’s no need to run, y’know?!”</p><p>Willow looked up, and her mind stopped working for about a second, she dropped the flyer and was pretty sure she had her mouth hanging open, but she was also sure nobody who knew her would judge her.</p><p>She just saw Amity and Luz walking together.</p><p>That shouldn’t be so weird, Luz had explained all the situation with Amity walking her to school, and while Willow would love to step up and take the role from the Blight, her dad had asked her to help on the store before going to school, so she couldn’t do it, neither could Gus, with the majority of his classes being early.</p><p>Willow didn’t have a say on that, but they weren’t going to school!</p><p>Also, Luz wasn’t wearing her usual clothes, neither did Amity. While her half-human friend was using a pair of what she had called ‘washed jeans’ along with a white and purple t-shirt covered by a green jacket, all placed together by a wine-colored beanie, Amity was wearing a pink shirt-dress with black leggings and her hair was partially down, well, more than usual.</p><p>Willow was sure everybody would understand her shock.</p><p>“Wha…?” she managed to say when both girls had disappeared on a side street.</p><p>Willow heard her scroll ring and answered it without checking.</p><p>“Hell yeah! Carnival time!” Gus’s voice came from the magic device. “Did you get a hold on Luz?”</p><p>Willow frowned. “No, but don’t worry, I’m pretty sure she’ll be there.”</p><p>“Oh, OK, that was super creepy, but cool, cool.”</p><p>“Gus,” Willow said, turning around, “you better bring your sunglasses and reporter hat.”</p><p>“Sure, but do you want the one with the camera or the one with the spell to hear conversations at distance.”</p><p>“Bring both.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“I can’t believe you just gave our chances to scam people at a carnival!”</p><p>“Oh, shut it, will ya? We have other things to deal with!”</p><p>Eda glared at King while the little demon whined at her, she could do with many things, but not with the stupid fur-ball making noise every three seconds about how he wanted to spend all day and night with Luz. The demon had resulted clingier than she had ever expected.</p><p>“I still don’t know why we are here,” King said.</p><p>Eda stopped walking and turned to face him. “We are here because the kid just went outside the house wearing clothes I had from my human treasure day, and that’s not something we should be proud of.”</p><p>“But you sell those things as fine clothes! What is the big difference? ‘Sides, Luz actually made it look nice.”</p><p>“Not the point, we are getting the kid some <em> useful </em>clothes.”</p><p>“Can’t believe the mother act got that far in your head.”</p><p>Eda didn’t honor that comment with a response.</p><p>The market was fairly empty, probably due to the carnival. Eda wasn’t stupid, she knew that there was probably a scam running in that place when an invitation got sent to her and another one to Yi-Yi—the ‘Bat Queen’ had resulted in being a really avid pen-pal—with a plus one clause.</p><p>It was fishy, but not all that threatening if she didn’t take the bait.</p><p>Eda stopped next to a second-hand clothes store and studied it, she could always get Luz first-class clothes, not like Yi-Yi’s reward had been spent already, but she wondered if that would be wise, Luz pretty much wore the same hoodie every single day without complaining.</p><p>“What are you thinking so much about?” King got next to her and chuckled. “Are you going to get her second-hand clothes? Really?”</p><p>Eda crossed her arms. “I was <em> considering </em> it, the kid doesn’t seem to be much of a fashion freak, ya know?”</p><p>“There is a huge gap between ‘fashion’ and ‘old,’ and I can tell you, ‘new,’ is in the middle.” King pointed to another store at the end of the street. “That place is better suited for Luz.”</p><p>Eda followed the little paw’s direction and almost groaned. The store King had just pointed out was one of the few that had people, the pay line was long enough to be seen from her where she stood and even worse than anything…!</p><p>Other moms, which meant… chit chats…</p><p>“I can’t go in there!”</p><p>King crossed his arms. “Then let’s go back home! I’m sure Luz doesn’t even need these things!”</p><p>“She might not know she wants them but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need ‘em!” Eda replied, glaring at him. “Now listen you little-“</p><p>“Edalyn?”</p><p>Eda tensed and turned to look at the newcomer. She sighed with a huge relief at seeing Marcus; the man was charging with a bag of… seeds?</p><p>“It is you!” he said, walking closer. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Eda considered all the possible lies, what could be cooler? Maybe planning an explosion? Scamming the mafia or-!</p><p>“She wants to buy Luz some clothes, but doesn’t want to get into the line of the good stores because other moms are gonna talk to her,” King said before Eda could.</p><p>“King!”</p><p>“Clothes?” Marcus repeated, making a spell circle and leaving the seeds to fall into a small portal. “I didn’t know she needed them.”</p><p>Eda groaned, she might as well just roll with it. “She wears the same outfit, every, single, day.”</p><p>“Willow also does pretty much that, to be honest,” Marcus said while sighing. “She told us that she just really likes that dress.”</p><p>“I thought teens liked to have variety.”</p><p>“They are used to the uniform, we can’t really blame them,” Marcus replied with a shrug. “Hey, what if I go with you?”</p><p>“Ah? You? Coming with me?”</p><p>“Yeah! I mean, if you are Ok with it, I could get something for Willow, too.”</p><p>“…Why?”</p><p>Marcus smirked at her. “Because you are my friend, and I supposed you’d like talking to me at least a bit more than talking to those women around there?”</p><p>Eda stared and took a second before she started laughing, she couldn’t believe it! When had someone, ever! Said they were her <em> friends </em>so openly and with such confidence? It had been years!</p><p>“Yeah, I guess you are right,” she accepted, walking to stand next to him. “I could use some help, too. I don’t have any idea what kids these days like to wear.”</p><p>“Don’t set your expectations too high on me, I’m as clueless as you,” Marcus replied, “but I can actually ask for the shopkeeper’s advice.”</p><p>“I’ll leave the ‘giving-up-pride’ part to you, then.”</p><p>“And I’ll go back home,” King said, turning around.</p><p>Just before Eda caught him and raised him by the collar. “Oh no, you are also coming.”</p><p>“Ha?! But why?!”</p><p>“Because that store was <em> your </em>idea.”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“You are funnier to go shopping than Aaron,” Marcus said.</p><p>Eda smiled. “Am I now?”</p><p>“He is the type to ask the other person to let him take stuff first.”</p><p>“And you?”</p><p>Marcus grinned and cracked his knuckles. “Oh, I’m not so nice when the offer comes out.”</p><p>Eda gaped at him before she looked over the store; there was a sign with the simple message that flared up a flame inside her.</p><p>
  <b>SPECIAL SELL/ ALL HALF THE PRICE</b>
</p><p>“This is starting to look interesting,” Eda laughed.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz was sweating, but it wasn’t because of the air being hot, hell! She didn’t want to take the jacket off, it was freezing! Also, she had worked <em> so </em>hard on finding something nice on Eda’s ‘treasures’ to just drop the outfit away on the first hour…</p><p>And the weather was really cold that day! Didn’t she already say that?</p><p>There was <em> also </em>the fact that her hair had been unreasonable—yes, it didn’t matter it was not alive—and didn’t work with her, but instead forced her to wear a beanie instead, which just made everything harder to cope with.</p><p>So yeah, bringing all that together? She was not <em> hot, </em>but neither was she cold.</p><p>And yet? She was <em> sweating! </em></p><p><em> “Por dios, this is unbearable…” </em>Luz thought, looking ahead.</p><p>Having her hand holding Amity’s wasn’t helping either.</p><p>“Are you OK, Luz?” Amity asked, smiling at her.</p><p>She had tried to ignore it, really tried! But Amity’s light blush and that shaky lower lip made that entire situation feel<em> too real! </em> Luz had invited Amity, yeah, she had decided to go <em> alone </em> with Amity, sure.</p><p>She had thought of it as a date? Hell yeah!</p><p>But she wasn’t prepared for Amity to show herself with her hair down... mostly! Luz knew cute people, like Willow, or attractive people; like Nevareth—he was a puppet, but an attractive one—and Skara. Luz could deal with cute people just fine. But Amity, at that moment, playing with the end of her shirt-dress and looking at her every now and then?</p><p>Yeah, Luz wasn’t made out of stone, <em> goddess! </em></p><p>“I’m OK, really! <em> Perfecta!” </em></p><p>“…What?”</p><p>“Um, I mean, I’m OK, perfect! Nothing wrong…” Luz rushed to say, raising her free hand.</p><p>Amity stared at her for a second before letting out a soft giggle. “You know? I wonder what those are.”</p><p>“Those?”</p><p>“Yeah, those things you say sometimes,” Amity said, looking at her feet. “I’ve heard you sometimes, strange words with a strange tune.”</p><p>“You mean Spanish?”</p><p>“What’s <em> ‘Spanish’? </em>”</p><p>Luz bit back her tongue; she had received a question like that one before. Not what it <em> was </em> but how to speak it. She had forgotten that the isles didn’t have another language besides English and the runes, at least as far as she knew.</p><p>She never thought much of it.</p><p>“It’s just my other mother language,” Luz explained looking ahead. “I grew up with my mom speaking it, so I’m pretty much fluent myself.”</p><p>“I’ve never heard of it…”</p><p>“Well, the place I used to live is pretty far away and it’s almost impossible to hear from there.”</p><p>“Really? Can you say anything else?”</p><p>Luz looked up and considered what to say, and smirked. “Well…<em> La verdad es que no tengo idea de que decir… </em>”</p><p>“What?” Amity asked with a giggle, “It’s so weird, but… in a good way.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, I like how it sounds, to be honest.”</p><p>“That’s nice of you.”</p><p>“Could you tell me something else?”</p><p>“Something else? Kinda hard, the only thing in my mind would be <em> que eres demasiado bonita para tener una cita conmigo.” </em>She said and shrugged.</p><p>And Amity hit her on the arm.</p><p>“What was that for?” Luz asked, rubbing her arm.</p><p>“I may not understand what you said, but I get the gist of that last part,” Amity replied, “don’t go treating yourself poorly.”</p><p><em> “…Wow… just… wow.” </em> Luz thought and looked ahead. “Thanks… and it’s a bad habit I guess.”</p><p>“How can that be a habit?”</p><p>“My mom and I never really quite fit on my home town.” Luz sighed. “I used to spend all my free time on books or drawing… alone.”</p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>“There were good things, thou, like the food, or the movies, or those nights when my mom and I would go stargazing… she used to talk to me about how the stars looked different from how she expected them to be…” Luz chuckled. “She also said that she had a memory of someone pointing stupid figures on the sky… but, well, it was a long time ago, now that think about it…”</p><p>Amity hummed and stayed silent for a few minutes before dropping a question Luz wished she hadn’t heard. “Don’t you miss it?”</p><p>That hit her hard. Did she miss the human world?</p><p>Luz had thought about the human realm many times, but she usually thought about <em> things </em> she missed. Like the internet, but the isles had something like that, and it was magical! She thought of cat videos, about anime and bookstores that had books that didn’t try to eat her… she thought of brands of junk food and all the movie franchises she followed, she thought about the non-lethal rain and rainbows…</p><p>She often thought about Camila, too.</p><p>But that was that, being fairly honest, it was a bit much for her. She couldn’t think of a single place she missed, no house or school; no people besides Camila had ever crossed her mind…</p><p>“…No, I don’t think so,” she finally said.</p><p>“I see…” Amity said, and a small smile formed itself on her face.</p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p>Amity looked at her as she was about to attack her. “E-Eh?”</p><p>“Come on,” Luz said, “now I’m curious.”</p><p>“I just… just…” Amity dipped her head and Luz leaned closer to her.</p><p>“Just…?” Luz repeated.</p><p>The carnival was just ahead.</p><p>Amity’s voice came as a whisper. “I thought is nice… that you are staying for a long time…”</p><p>Luz’s heart couldn’t take that much, please someone save her!</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Gus loved his friends, Willow was the one who had kept him pretty much in line after many years of being isolated, and Luz was by far the most interesting witch he had ever met!</p><p>No offense to Willow, but the criminal parent was something just too cool to beat.</p><p>That was why spying on Luz with Willow beside him felt… weird.</p><p>“Why are we doing this again?” He dared to ask looking at her friend who was walking, <em> hand in hand </em> with Amity Blight.</p><p>That was a surprise.</p><p>“Because Amity is a horrible person that is going to hurt Luz,” Willow said, glaring ahead.</p><p>It was like her mantra at that point.</p><p>“But she doesn’t seem <em> that </em>bad now, does she?” Gus sighed and leaned on his hand.</p><p>Amity was such a mess right then a there, you had to be blind to go and not notice her blush and the way she played with her hair <em> so much </em>. And even if those weren’t real pointers about how a person felt, Gus was an illusionist, he knew pretty well how the eyes of a person lit up when they saw something important, or special, or that they considered beautiful.</p><p>You couldn’t fake it, and Amity was just overflowing with it every time her eyes landed on Luz.</p><p><em> “I wonder if Luz notices it…” </em> He considered, raising both eyebrows without changing his skeptical expression.</p><p>And Luz crashed with a light pole.</p><p>Gus had to cover his mouth with his hands. <em> “I guess she has her own deal going on…” </em></p><p>“They got inside the carnival!” Willow hissed, taking his hand, “let’s go.”</p><p>“Really? I do think you are exaggerating-”</p><p>“Move. It!”</p><p>“…Yes ma’am…”</p><p>The walk inside the carnival wasn’t much different.</p><p>Luz and Amity were both blushing, flirting and, Titan, even trying to impress the other and just ending as an awkward mess every, single, time.</p><p>Gus was about to pass out from keeping his laugher at bay. Willow on the other hand…</p><p>“She is playing with her…” the plant track witch muttered.</p><p>Gus sighed, and took a bite of his cotton-candy. “Yep, that’s what games are made for.”</p><p>“You know that’s not what I mean…”</p><p>“And you know that what you are saying is not the case. Please, Willow, we’ve been tailing them for <em> two hours </em> and the only thing I’ve realized so far is that Amity is real bad to hide a crush!”</p><p>That made her flinch, and Gus groaned.</p><p>“Why can’t you accept the <em> possibility </em> that Amity just… you know, likes Luz?”</p><p>Willow snapped at him. “Because Luz is too good for her and she doesn’t have the right to hurt my friend!”</p><p>Gus had to jump back to avoid a vine from hitting him. He gaped at Willow, and the plant witch reacted at him, she looked around, the ground around her had changed, there were vines full of thorns around her, and the earth had cracked. Willow took a deep breath and the vines retracted underground.</p><p>“Gus… I…I…”</p><p>“I know you didn’t mean it,” he said, shaking his head. “But you need to deal with this other way! I know you two were friends, but if what she did to you was so horrible, then maybe you need to talk it with her!”</p><p>“Gus-”</p><p>“No! No more ‘Gus’ me!” he snapped, and walked up to her. “I may be your friend, but precisely because of that, this…” he gestures to all of Willow. “Can’t go on! You are hurting yourself and it’s just a matter of time before you start hurting other people!”</p><p>Willow stared at him and then looked down. “I can’t forgive someone who is not sorry…”</p><p>“You don’t know if she isn’t.”</p><p>“She is-!”</p><p>“You. Don’t. Know!” Gus stopped her. “You’re just assuming!”</p><p>“I’m talking about facts!”</p><p>“Now, you are pulling a ‘Boscha’ right now!”</p><p>Willow gaped. “What does that mean?”</p><p>“You are using a single thing to negate all the others! Amity might have been bad before, yes, we all know, but you are clinging to that as if you’ll die if you don’t! Because is been <em> painfully obvious </em> that she is not scheming something against Luz, but you just <em> need </em>to believe she is!” Gus took a deep breath and shook his head. “You are acting exactly like Boscha would, rejecting all the new things you see just because you want a person to be what you want them to be when it’s convenient to you… and I know you are better than that.”</p><p>Willow didn’t say anything, and Gus was OK with that. He didn’t want to say all that, hell, it was horrible to compare Willow with Boscha, Boscha! But there were limits, and her friend was overstepping them by far.</p><p>“Am… I… Am I really doing that?” Willow whispered.</p><p>Gus sighed, nodding. “Yes, you are, and you’re better than this.”</p><p>“I…I don’t know anymore.”</p><p>“I do, so please, stop it, just for today at least.” Gus smiled at her. “We are in a carnival; let’s just have a bit of fun!”</p><p>“…Yeah, let’s do that.” Willow smiled back at him.</p><p>“Willow, Gus?”</p><p>…Titan, you had to be sh-!</p><p>“Hey! Luz, Amity!” Gus said, looking at his friend and her companion.</p><p>The day had just turned into a bigger disaster.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“That dude should’ve backed off!” Marcus hissed.</p><p>“I know! We got our hands on that jacket first!”</p><p>King groaned and covered his ears.</p><p>Marcus and Eda had been at the damn store for three hours! And he was subject of a bunch of old lady’s taking ‘care’ of him while those two stole the best goods!</p><p>He loved a good heist, but he hated, no, he loathed, no, <em> despised </em> being bait!</p><p>“You still got a few outfits, didn’t ya?” He asked at both adults, looking at them with tired eyes.</p><p>“Yeah!” Marcus cheered, showing off his bags. “I bet my little pumpkin is going to like this, the shopkeeper was nice enough to point them out.”</p><p>“That woman just wanted you to buy something expensive…” King whispered.</p><p>He had to guide those two towards the clothes Willow and Luz would <em> actually </em>like. He was a genius of style after all—he didn’t wear clothes, but he did hear many times Luz had discussed the matter with Willow through her scroll—and he wasn’t leaving Eda gave Luz something horrible.</p><p>“We should send this home anyway,” Eda said with a happy grin, looking at her own bags. “Hope the kid gets less stressed once she put her hands on these.”</p><p>“…What do you mean with, ‘less stressed’?” Marcus asked.</p><p>King tensed and Eda froze. Marcus studied them for a few seconds for what the demon saw and his easy-going grin died to be replaced by a concerned frown.</p><p>“Eda, what happened? Did the man…?”</p><p>Eda reacted at that and shook her head. “No, no, it’s… it’s nothing like that is just…” Eda sighed, looking down. “The kid is having… Luz is having a hard time.”</p><p>“Hard, how?”</p><p>“She can’t sleep,” Eda said, “and she is… she is being weird, like, she doesn’t hug people that much anymore, and she is kind of scare of <em> anyone </em>touching her… except for that kid and me.”</p><p>“That kid?”</p><p>“One of her friends, not your kid though.” Eda sighed. “And she is just this… this distant, like she is so far away sometimes.”</p><p>King had noticed it, too. How Luz would look at the distance and hold her left arm, sometimes she would look just… just sad; and there were other times where she was about to cry, but not because of sadness, but terror.</p><p>“You hadn’t talked to someone about this?” Marcus asked.</p><p>“Who could’ve I asked?” Eda replied, shaking her head. “I’d love to get her some kind of help, if she asked for it I would probably send her to the healers or... or someone! But…But our situation is a disaster, Marcus.”</p><p>“…Is it because of the man who attacked her?”</p><p>“Yes… he has too many connections,” Eda whispered, “I don’t want to… I <em> can’t </em> risk him learning where Luz is.”</p><p>Marcus sighed, too. “If you just told us who this man is, we could protect Luz with you.”</p><p>“That’s sweet, but the less you know, the better.”</p><p>“We are here regardless.”</p><p>“And I thank you for that!” Eda replied, this time a bit more cheerful. “Now, time to go, I need to leave these back home.”</p><p>“I should probably do the same,” Marcus said, smiling at them. “I’ll see you around I guess?”</p><p>“Not if you are lucky enough!” Eda replied while she jumped on her staff.</p><p>King also mounted and watched the witch. He had lived with Eda for years, and had seen her go through some weird phases, many people. But never had he seen her like that.</p><p>So vibrant and… happy, worried, but happy.</p><p><em> “Luz does rub on people.” </em> He thought with a sigh, and looked down.</p><p>They were over the carnival.</p><p>“Hey, Eda?”</p><p>“What is it fur-ball?”</p><p>“What do you say about getting Luz the surprise early?” He asked, and pointed down.</p><p>Eda blinked several times at him before smiling. “You just want to crash her date, don’t ya?”</p><p>“She said it wasn’t a date.”</p><p>“And I’m not a witch, sure,” Eda said, “but OK, let’s give you your act of mischief of the year.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“Coming down!”</p><p>He would have Eda paying later.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“I didn’t know you guys had the day off!” Luz said.</p><p>Gus smiled at her. “I’m fairly free most of the time.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you had that huge project coming, I thought you’d be preparing already.”</p><p>“That…That can wait a day or two…”</p><p>“You didn’t even ask me,” Willow commented.</p><p>Luz flinched and looked at the table. Running into Willow and Gus had been fun at the beginning, but the tension built up pretty much instantly between Amity—who practically crushed her hand—and Willow, both girls refusing to even look in the direction of the other.</p><p>But it wasn’t because of hate… at least not from Amity’s part.</p><p>“Aaron told me you’d be helping in the store all week,” Luz explained, “and you told me yesterday that you couldn’t leave for anything in the world since you were about to receive some really important plants.”</p><p>Willow backed off at that and crossed her arms. “Still.”</p><p>“So… since when are you guys on good terms?” Gus asked and took a bit of his candy-covered apple.</p><p>Why did it have those pincers? Luz would never know.</p><p>“We’ve been pretty close from about… a month or so?” Luz replied.</p><p>But Amity wanted to be <em> specific. </em>“More like three and half weeks.”</p><p>“That’s a month,” Willow muttered.</p><p>“Anyway!” Luz raised and hit the table with her palms. “We are all here, so, why don’t we have fun together?”</p><p>“I’m your friend, Luz. I’d love to but… I think I’m just gonna go for something to eat and then go home.” Willow sighed, and stood up. “Have fun for me, please?”</p><p>“B-But Willow…”</p><p>“I also have to go,” Gus said while standing up, “I tagged along for a while with Willow but my dad wanted me home for… my project.” He groaned. “This is going to be a nightmare!”</p><p>“Guys…”</p><p>Luz felt a squeeze on her hand and she looked down at Amity, the other girl smiled softly at her and shook her head before she stood up. “Hey, can you at least keep her company for a while?”</p><p>“Excuse me?” Willow responded.</p><p>“I gotta go, my mom just texted me,” Amity explained and showed them her scroll, Luz bit her lip at the sight of the clear message from Mrs. Blight. “I gotta go see her before she sends someone for me, and Luz still haves a lot of tickets from the last games set.”</p><p>Luz stared at Amity, she did have the tickets, but those were supposed to be for a stuffed animal Amity had been ogling over, was Luz really about to spend them on something else…?</p><p>“You sure?” Gus asked, and… why was he holding Willow's arms? “I could stay if it’s just for a little while…”</p><p>“Yeah, Luz and I already had our share of fun!” Amity replied, and she then looked at Luz. “Sorry, we got to cut it here.”</p><p>“N-No… No! Don’t worry, you have to go with your mom, I get it,” Luz said while looking at her feet and scratching the back of her neck. “I’m… I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t say that,” Amity said, and held Luz’s hands, making her raised her eyes to the same level. “You gave me lots of <em> fun </em>today, I haven’t had that in a long time, so thank you.”</p><p>Luz stared at the nervous smile on Amity’s face for a few seconds, wondering how she had managed to control herself and not blow up half the place with such a cute girl being so interest in what she was doing, and that led her to a single thought:</p><p>
  <em> I need to make the next date even better… </em>
</p><p>There were a few gasps and Luz looked around, Willow was red—though if it was from embarrassment or rage, she would never know—while Gus had his jaw hanging. Amity, on the other hand, was staring at her with big eyes and her face, along with her ears, shining a bright beet red.</p><p>“…I said that out loud…” Luz said, the heat rising to her face.</p><p>She needed to stop doing <em> that! </em></p><p>“S..S-So thi-this was a…?” Amity was shaking while talking and Luz wanted to be swallowed up by the ground.</p><p>But she had to give an answer. “I…I-I was aiming for… it?”</p><p>“I…I see…” Amity looked at her feet. “Good… good…”</p><p>“Good?”</p><p>“I… I liked it, going-on-date-with-you,” Amity said smashing the words together. “C-Could we… repeat it?”</p><p>Luz lit up at the question. “Sure! I…I mean, yeah, sure…”</p><p>Amity smiled at her and leaned closer, kissing her cheek before turning around and running away. Luz stared after the teal haired girl before reaching for her cheek, the heat going up almost immediately.</p><p>“D…Did she just…?”</p><p>“Kiss you?” Gus intervened, “yeah, she did.”</p><p>Luz felt like walking on clouds already while holding Amity’s hand, so you could get the idea of how she was feeling with the lasting sensation on her cheek.</p><p>“You can’t date Amity!”</p><p>…And how she felt when Willow stood in front of her while saying that.</p><p>“Why not?” Luz asked, before her mind was capable of adding two plus two again. “Oh my gosh, Willow I’m so sorry…”</p><p>“Don’t apologize, but promise me you are not seeing Amity anymore!”</p><p>“What? Why would I do that?! She seems to like me!”</p><p>“She is not trustworthy!”</p><p>“She had proven to be so far!”</p><p>“You don’t know her as I do!”</p><p>“And you don’t know her like <em> I </em>do, Willow!” Luz replied, shaking her head. “I know she hurt you, I’m painfully conscious of that, but Amity had treated me well, she had saved me many times and had worried over me, she had given me my space to heal and, just as you did, she was there when I needed her!”</p><p>“That is just a front! Amity can seem to be so perfect, so caring and so nice! I know that from experience!” Willow’s glare got darker. “She is just going to hurt you!”</p><p>Luz backed off. “…Maybe I think it’s worth it,” she whispered after a few seconds.</p><p>And Willow held her by the shoulders, and she did it <em> too hard! </em></p><p>“You are too naive! She is going to betray you!”</p><p>“You don’t have proof of that!</p><p>“Yes, I do!” Willow shouted and she pushed her. “She betrayed <em> me! </em> And I’m just trying to protect you, why can’t you understand that?!”</p><p>Luz clenched her jaw. “I know you want to protect me, but I don’t need protection from Amity!”</p><p>“Yes, you do!”</p><p>“Willow-!”</p><p>“Don’t you get it?! You don’t belong here, nor with her! I’m just trying to take care of you! Why won’t you just be normal and get it, you weirdo?!”</p><p>“Willow!”</p><p>That was Gus’s scream; Willow gaped and covered her mouth, looking back at Luz. Why was she so… so surprised, and why did Luz feel like something had just rolled down her face.</p><p>“L…L-Luz I’m sorry I…I didn’t…”</p><p>Luz turned around, not quite getting what was happening, but her chest was hurting, her eyes aching and her breath burning her.</p><p>Was she crying? It would make sense.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Why won’t you just be normal and get it, you weirdo?!”</em> </b>
</p><p>How had she forgotten it? Maybe it was because everything seemed like a dream, she had just let it slip, she had let it be part of the background noise of her life for so long… but it would always come back to bite her.</p><p>She was a weirdo, an abnormal… a mistake, not a part of the group.</p><p><em> “I don’t belong anywhere…” </em> Luz thought and closed her eyes.</p><p>She needed to be alone.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“What. Is. Your. Problem?!” Gus was raging and Willow was frozen, she had never seen him like that.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to-!”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter what you meant, you just threw in her face the one thing she didn’t want to hear!”</p><p>Willow looked down, closing her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin. How could she have done something as heartless as that?! Luz had trusted her, she had exposed herself many times and she just asked for Willow to be her friend, but she had to go and drop the only thing she knew she wouldn’t have said to her… the only thing that would hurt her the most.</p><p>“I was being stupid…”</p><p>“Hell yeah! But right now is not the time,” Gus said, taking her by the arm and pulling her along. “You need to apologize to Luz, soon.”</p><p>“I don’t think she wants to see me right now…”</p><p>“Or ever, I mean, she just finds a girl that is totally over heels for her and you try to <em> forbid </em> her from seeing her again, and when she refuses you say <em> that? </em> Nah, I’d be really, really mad at you for a week or so.”</p><p>Willow left a groan out her mouth. “I’m a horrible person.”</p><p>“No, you are just a jealous friend with a lot of repress anger. Have you considered therapy?”</p><p>“…Sometimes.”</p><p>“Hey! Dweebus!”</p><p>Willow looked at Gus before at the same he looked at her. Both of them turned towards the voice, Willow would’ve liked to be eaten by a demon trash slug at that very instant.</p><p>“Miss. Eda!” Gus greeted the woman, “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I’m looking for my kid, have you seen her?”</p><p>“Luz? Can’t say that I have.”</p><p>“You are an awful liar, kid. Just spill.”</p><p>It didn’t take more than that to get Gus to say it. “Willow and Luz had a fight.”</p><p>“A fight?” Eda repeated, “Over what, cotton candy?”</p><p>“Willow called-”</p><p>“I think I can explain myself here,” Willow cut in and looked up at Eda.</p><p>The ‘Owl Lady’ frowned at that. “Kid… what happened? Where is Luz?”</p><p>“I… I told her she didn’t belong here because she was… <em> different </em>.”</p><p>“You called her weirdo,” Gus commented, “nothing less.”</p><p>Eda wasn’t happy to hear that clarification. “You what?!”</p><p>“I wasn’t thinking!” Willow said, raising both hands. “I’m so sorry, I swear! I…I want to apologize but she just ran off!”</p><p>“She ran off, alone?!” Eda shouted and turned to a pretty astonished King, was the demon there from the beginning? “Time to use that stupid nose of yours, again!”</p><p>King nodded at her and dropped to his four paws. “On it!”</p><p>“That kid can’t be alone, much less after a fight…” Eda muttered.</p><p>“Why is this so urgent?” Gus asked, standing next to Willow. “I get we need to apologize, but Luz could probably just walk back on her own, right?”</p><p>“No, she couldn’t,” Eda replied, “the kid is on the radar, the Emperor’s coven is hunting her, and who knows what they will do to her.”</p><p>Willow covered her mouth before thinking. <em> “What did I do?!” </em></p><p>“Listen, they are trying to capture her as a witness or something last I checked, so we need to find her first!” Eda explained before turning her back on them. “I’ll search east, you dingus look north and south, King will take west, if you find her, blast a light ball and the others will go there.”</p><p>“What do I do if I find her?!” King shouted.</p><p>Willow heard Eda groan and then saw her conjure a bell, the ting was small a made of pure silver.</p><p>“Ring that, it’ll sound on my ears, and I’ll know where you are, once I’m there, I’ll send the light ball, now, move!”</p><p>Willow nodded and started running, they had seen Luz run east, sure, but the carnival was a weird place to get lost in, and Luz wasn’t aware of it, Willow should’ve stopped her, she should’ve just guided her and spent time with her friend…</p><p>But she just had to go and drop the damn thing on her because of a whim.</p><p><em> “I’m sorry, Luz… so sorry, please stay safe until we find you!” </em>Willow thought, turning a corner.</p><p>And she saw white robes, and also teal hair; Amity was with the Emperor’s coven.</p><p>“I knew-!” She caught herself when seeing the other teen more carefully.</p><p>Amity’s face wasn’t satisfied, but rather… sad, fearsome. She was also not walking along with the soldiers. One of them was pulling her by the arm…</p><p>Was Amity being… arrested?</p><p>“Just what is going on?” Willow whispered, and saw the group disappear on the streets outside the carnival.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Luz was tired, just… so tired.</p><p>Though she didn’t know, why?</p><p>Was it because of the running? Being fairly honest, the carnival was still going strong, and hell, the place was such a maze, she had passed that stupid store of ‘Tiny terrors’ like, six times, before she recognized the pig dude whose house she destroyed about a month ago.</p><p>Not the point.</p><p>She was tired, but not physically, jogging with Willow had built up some stamina on her. So no, she wasn’t <em> physically </em>tired; she was emotionally exhausted. She had believed things would be different, that people could accept her as she was.</p><p>But she had been naïve, apparently.</p><p>Gus hadn’t trusted her with his bullying, Eda hid things from her, King was so worried over her, that he was losing his fur—even if he tried to deny it—and now Willow just <em> finally </em>snapped, too tired of her weirdness.</p><p>Just like everybody else.</p><p>“It was stupid to think I would fit in here…” Luz whispered, sitting on the ground.</p><p>What if Amity was, apparently, interested in her? She would grow tired of Luz eventually, just like Willow did, just like Gus would probably do soon… just like Eda must’ve been feeling already.</p><p>She was no witch, she was no Clawthorne, she was no apprentice, she was no daughter…</p><p>She was a liar, as simple as that, a horrible one that didn’t deserve people around her, she was just a stepping stone, all her life she was that kid left out, that kid who didn’t belong that weirdo that didn’t mix up well with others.</p><p>Maybe that was the reason for Camila, the trigger to put Luz into shape, to try to make her <em> normal </em>… it may not be fun, but it was something necessary, something so she wouldn’t go exposing herself, so she wouldn’t have to deal with problematic things.</p><p>But having those powers and not using them, having them at all… it wasn’t what made her a weirdo.</p><p>“I’m Luz Noceda…” she whispered, “I’m just a nuisance…”</p><p>“I think she should be somewhere else!”</p><p>“And I’m telling you the witness pointed this direction!”</p><p>Luz looked up and immediately backed away, into the shadows, blending the best she could with the layout.</p><p>“Man, why are we doing this? We were ordered to stop!” one of the Emperor’s coven guards said and Luz blinked.</p><p><em> “They were…?” </em>She thought, looking at them.</p><p>The other guard groaned. “We may have been told to stop, but think about the privileges if we capture her! Now come, I think I saw her!”</p><p>A bunch of white robes passed behind the stall in front of her, and Luz’s heartbeat became erratic. She looked around, the carnival was indeed a mix-up of the worst kind, her mind rushed around many possibilities of what she could do while her hand moved directly to her pocket, the small deck of cards she had managed to gather still with her.</p><p>“This is about to get messy…”</p><p>“Luz?”</p><p>She turned so fast that she almost hit the person.</p><p>“Hey, it’s me, it’s me!”</p><p>“…Skara?”</p><p>Luz guess was legit, because of hell. Was that really Skara? The girl had some kind of weird hat covering her hair, her face was covered in white paint along with pink lines making an incredible alluring set of eyes and lips. Her clothes, following the strangeness of her face, were composed of a set of black pants and a rainbow-colored vest covering a white shirt.</p><p>“What’s with the outfit?”</p><p>Skara looked down and smiled, making noticeable the small glitter dots in her eyes. “It’s a hobby, and a part-time job.”</p><p>“I see!” Luz smiled, before remembering her situation. “Skara, you have to help me!”</p><p>“Help you? With wha-?”</p><p>“Citizens of the isles!” a voice echoed over the carnival. “The Emperor coven is in this moment looking for a witness, let us through.”</p><p>“…I’m guessing that,” Skara said, “what did you do?”</p><p>Luz groaned and almost faced palmed. “Nothing!”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Skara, you seem like a really nice person and you are rocking that outfit, so please, if our twenty minutes long discussion about how costumes are as important as actors in plays meant something to you, help me!”</p><p>Skara stared at her before taking her hands. “For the honor of black leggings and fancy hats, I’ll help you.”</p><p>Luz couldn’t respond to that weird statement.</p><p>Skara pulled her along through what must have been the craziest backstage show she had ever seen—and she had been working with a vet of magical creatures—until she stopped in front of one of Luz’s least favorite attractions ever.</p><p>“The mirror house?!”</p><p>Skara nodded pushing her towards the door. “It’s the safest place in the whole carnival.”</p><p>“How is that possible?!”</p><p>“It has a spell,” Skara explained, “the mirrors will only reflect you in your eyes, so nobody else can find you there unless they are looking for you, or if they actively call your attention once you are inside.”</p><p>“All those guys are looking for me!”</p><p>“No, they are looking for <em> a witness </em> , not for <em> you,” </em>the bard witch said, “I won’t tell anyone where you are and I’ll come back for you once they are gone, just wait here.”</p><p>“What if they find me?”</p><p>“Then I’ll come running.”</p><p>“You won’t.”</p><p>“Or course I will, I’m your friend.”</p><p>Luz stared at the other girl for the fifth? Sixth? Time that day. “You are?”</p><p>Skara stopped her rushed motions and looked at her dead in the eye, she crossed her arms, but she didn’t look mad, but more like… insecure?</p><p>“I think we are, I mean… you are the only one who doesn’t fakes listening to me, nor tells me to shut up when I really enjoy talking about stuff like clothes and their meaning in theater, I mean, Cat and Amelia are fine, they hang out with me and care about me or whatever, and Boscha is more like a forced friend… but you are… different, you hang out with me because you want to and… well, we don’t have nothing in common regarding social status.”</p><p>“Hey, prideful much?” Luz said, frowning.</p><p>Skara gaped. “No! No, I didn’t mean it like that, I meant like… groups of friends and stuff!” She shook her head. “See? I just talk too much and people tend to find me-“</p><p>“Annoying?” Luz cut in, and Skara stared at her. “I know the feeling.”</p><p>“Y-You do? But…But Willow and Gus are always so eager to listen to you, and Amity seems like she is hearing music when you talk.”</p><p>“Wait, really? No! No, not the time,” Luz whispered, shaking her head. “Look Skara, I…I wasn’t popular…liked… OK, fine, I wasn’t <em> tolerated </em> in my home town, nobody liked me, or wanted to talk to me, and it was just so… lonely, and I know that even if people surround you, it just keeps being…”</p><p>“Heartbreaking?” Skara said, with a smile. “I know, Amelia and Cat are just so nice, and Boscha has her moments, even if she a bit hard to handle most of the time.”</p><p>“So she has a soft side?”</p><p>“Deep inside, and she seems to forget it, too.” Skara giggled. “So…So yeah, I thought of us as friends, Luz.”</p><p>…Could she believe those words? Luz wasn’t really sure.</p><p>“I…I just have to wait until you come for me?”</p><p>“Yep!”</p><p>“What am I supposed to do if the guards find me before you do?”</p><p>“You fight back!” Skara’s reply came almost automatically. “You have some amazing magic if what I saw against that Basilisk is anything to go by. Besides, after leaving us to be devoured, I don’t think many people around here would mind if we beat one or two of them.”</p><p>Luz bit her lip and looked down. “I’m not sure I’m strong enough to face an army with that…”</p><p>She felt a hand in her shoulder and tensed, she tried to relax, but the touch was just so… foreign.</p><p>“Luz, I know you can handle yourself amazingly, and I saw three, five soldiers, tops! I promise, you’ll be fine,” Skara said, letting go of her shoulder and making Luz look up at her. “But if you are really that scared, I hear that some spells become stronger with vocalization.”</p><p>Luz blinked and cocked her head to the side. “Like… spoken spells?”</p><p>“Yeah, those are supposedly, like… like…” Skara stuck her tongue out one side of her mouth and lit up a little while later. “So… ugh… right! I’ve heard of spells becoming stronger with voice, but well, people who do that only… like, hear them in their heads.”</p><p>Luz looked at the girl before nodding, it wasn’t like she hadn’t worked with less in her life.</p><p>Yet…</p><p>“Are you sure nobody but you will come here to find me?” Luz asked in a low plea.</p><p>Skara smiled and nodded. “I promise if it’s not me, someone you want to see will.”</p><p>“…How can you promise that?”</p><p>“I just know,” Skara said with a smile. “After all, I live for the show.”</p><p>Luz watched her disappear behind tents and turned around. She had never really like the mirror house back in the human realm, she stared at the sign on the door.</p><p>
  <b>Reflect your true self… and also everything else…</b>
</p><p>“Ominous…” she whispered, walking inside.</p><p>She just wished for it to be as safe as Skara had said it’d be.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Where are you, Luz?”</p><p>Willow was panicking, like, really panicking!</p><p>She had run for all the stalls, all the shows, and all the tents, the entire fricking carnival was being patrolled by the Emperor’s coven soldiers looking for her best friend, and she had just fought with her and said one of the most horrible things she could possibly say to her.</p><p><em> “I’m such a bad friend…” </em> She thought turning a corner.</p><p>“Willow?!”</p><p>She tensed and looked back, finding a white face with pink lips and eyelashes.</p><p>“…Who are you?”</p><p>“What do you…? You know what? No time, Luz needs you.”</p><p>Willow didn’t have time to object at that. This clown moved fast and took her hand, pulling her along the stalls, they had to stop because of a little group of people blocking their way more than once, and on time, they were stopped by one soldier that ask what they were doing.</p><p>Willow was glad a kid fell next to them and they could run, as horrible as it may sound.</p><p>“Why the hell are they here anyway? Luz is a nice girl,” the clown said, stopping behind a huge tent.</p><p>Willow shook her head; all that running had managed to leave her breathless. “Is not because of her, but her mom, I think…”</p><p>“Her mom?”</p><p>“Eda, the ‘Owl Lady’, didn’t you know about her?”</p><p>“I’ve heard of her, but she really raises such a ruckus?”</p><p>“Apparently.”</p><p>Willow tried to tie-up her hair a bit and finally noticed the fact that this clown was still holding her hand.</p><p>It was weird, not bad weird but… weird.</p><p>The hand was small, with long fingers and smooth palms, but the tips of the fingers were rough.</p><p><em> “What in-?” </em> Willow snapped and shook her head, looking at the clown’s face. “How do you know Luz? And where is she?”</p><p>“First, I’m her friend, thank you, second, I hid her in the mirror’s house.” The bothered tone in their voice made Willow tense a bit. “You’re awfully mean right now, it is something wrong?”</p><p>Willow ignored the question. “Her friend? But she never talked about you!”</p><p>“Seeing how you react with any of her friends, that doesn’t surprise me.”</p><p>“What does <em> that </em>mean?”</p><p>The clown laughed. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you don’t notice how jealous you are with your friends? Or is something that only happens when Amity is around?”</p><p>Willow tensed and looked down. She didn’t want to think of Amity just yet, and still, this person had just hit the sore spot.</p><p>“I might not be very close to you, but I do know you are not that cold with people,” the clown said, “whenever Amity is close to any of your friends, you go feral, like, you don’t shout or whatever, but you give this cold stare and the air around you becomes <em> so </em> chilly!”</p><p>Willow looked at that person again, studying their movements carefully, they didn’t seem to be lying, and the words came out without any edge, so it wasn’t that she was being mocked.</p><p>“I really do that?”</p><p>“Yeah, and I’m a side-watcher, I don’t want to think what is to be at the end of that glare.”</p><p>“It can’t be that bad!”</p><p>“Wha-? ‘It can’t’?! Babe, you are, like, super cute, but that glare makes principal Bump look like he gifts cookies every day!”</p><p>“...Ouch, really?”</p><p>“Already asked, and yeah.”</p><p>“Can’t believe I’m so mean, I’m like Boscha.”</p><p>“Oh, no! Nope, stopping you right there.” The clown moved to be in front of her. “Look, you can be pretty mean, but not even in dreams compare that to Boscha, OK? You are nice, and sweet, and caring, so please don’t put yourself down just because you can’t deal with one person.”</p><p>“But weren’t you just saying that I shouldn’t be mean?”</p><p>“When did I say that? I said you are mean with Amity, nothing less, nothing more… look, Luz is in a dire situation right now, the mirrors house’s extra spell will let one person find her, so, you can go for her and I’ll keep the Emperor’s coven away from there.”</p><p>“…Why are you doing this?” Willow asked, looking down. “Luz might be your friend, but going against the Emperor’s coven is…”</p><p>There is silence for a while and that makes her look up, the clown has one of the saddest faces Willow had seen when she looked at her.</p><p>“My…My uncle was imprisoned and… and didn’t came out, their only crime was to do a show about the wild witches that didn’t end with ‘glorious Emperor Belos saved us all…!’ so I understand, that sometimes, they are not really in the right.” The girl shrugged. “And they left me to die on the hands of a monster not so long ago, I’m not really happy with them.”</p><p>Willow looked at the other’s eyes, the grey irises were shining so faintly, but she understood the pain she saw behind those.</p><p>“…I’m so sorry… and…and thanks, for helping my friend.”</p><p>The clown stared at her and chuckled, before letting her hands go and making a funny movement with her hand, in the tip of their fingers, a single flower, a lily, appeared.</p><p>“You are astonishingly pretty when you smile,” the clown said, placing the flower in her hair. “Whatever happened, I’m sure you’ll solve it.”</p><p>Willow didn’t reply to that, not that she could, the air was caught in her throat and the words weren’t working for her. She watched the clown disappear between tents again and shook her head when the image of the funny clothes was gone.</p><p>She needed to focus.</p><p>“I need to call Eda, and Gus…” she whispered, and blasted the light ball to the air.</p><p>While the perfume of the flower reached her from her hair.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>The mirror’s house was funnier than what Luz had expected, even with her situation.</p><p>The crystal walls gave her back a reflection that wasn’t hers, from a dog person to an anime character, Luz had seen many version of herself she could’ve only dreamed about before, and some that she just straight-up feared.</p><p>She also saw many versions of herself she’d do anything to see with her friends.</p><p>“Why am I a dog? I always thought I’d be a cat,” she whispered, looking again at the animal person mirror.</p><p>Luz shook her head and turned around; the paths inside the house were messy and incredibly confusing. She would have it to give to Skara for choosing a nice hiding spot. The dim lights, the mysterious aura, and the actual two working spells made it secure.</p><p>She walked past a few more areas before she saw a mirror separated from the rest.</p><p>There was… something, about that one.</p><p>She closed the distance with it. It was a black mirror, and the silhouette that reflected on it was… faded, as if she was looking through steamed glass. But it was supposed to be her, right?</p><p><em> “A defective one?” </em>Luz thought.</p><p>There was something else about the mirror, something… nostalgic, but she couldn’t quite remember from when, or where. She looked with or care, making out the silhouetted, it was small, smaller than most of the others, but it still remained close to her.</p><p>She didn’t know what made her do it, but she reached out and touched it with the tip of her fingers.</p><p>Big mistake.</p><p>A cold—<em> freezing </em> — wave ran past her body and the image became perfect, Luz was faced with her face, but the person in front of her wasn’t <em> her. </em></p><p>An expressionless face, black dress and white cape, and long hair tied up in a ponytail, but the worse part, the worst of all were the <em> eyes. </em></p><p>Shinning red irises in otherwise completely dead eyes.</p><p>“No… no!”</p><p>Luz backed away violently, crashing against another mirror and she turned, expecting some silly image to distract herself.</p><p>But there wasn’t one, just the same image from before.</p><p>“No! Stay away!”</p><p>“I’m you…” the reflection talked, and it was <em> her </em>voice! “I can’t stay away…”</p><p>“No! You are not me! These are stupid mirrors showing me what I’m not!”</p><p>“It’s really that, thou?”</p><p>“Stop it! You. Are. Not. Me!”</p><p>“Why are you so scared?”</p><p>Luz tensed and got her hand to her side bad, getting out the fire glyph and tapping it without hesitation, the mass of fire crashed against the mirror, but the thing didn’t budge, the flames dissolved and Luz was faced once again with that vision.</p><p>“Stay away!” She shouted, closing her eyes.</p><p>“I’m what you are, talk as you talk…”</p><p>“I don’t talk like that, I don’t look like that!”</p><p>“Look, how?”</p><p>Luz’s eyes snapped open and she was faced with the reflection… but it was out the mirror.</p><p>“How do you look, Luz?” it asked, walking closer. “How do we… look?”</p><p>The words wouldn’t come out, the air was so damn hard to breathe and the eyes, those eyes were burning through her soul.</p><p>“Like a… doll…” she managed to let out those strangled words.</p><p>And the reflection <em> smiled. </em>“We are not dolls… but we are part of something… bigger.”</p><p>Luz felt <em> her </em>hand cupping her cheek, the blood in her veins froze, and her heart stopped, the reflection lips moving so faintly.</p><p>“We are… part of the Titan’s will,” the reflection whispered. “Just as father said…”</p><p>And from behind her a hand with a glove appeared, Luz’s eyes followed the arm, just find the mask and antler she loathed, that kept chasing her in her nightmares.</p><p>Belos.</p><p>“You are nothing, but your destiny, dear Luz…” His voice came.</p><p>“No…no…” Luz whispered, shaking. “No…no… I won’t… I won’t! No!”</p><p>Luz snapped and freed herself. Turning and running as hard as she could, the imaged of Belos and that vision following her on every mirror, every step of the way, looking at her, haunting her.</p><p>“Leave me alone!” she cried and got a card, not daring to look what it was, she threw it at the mirrors.</p><p>“You’ll never fit in here,” Belos voice came.</p><p>And <em> her </em>voice followed almost immediately. “You are not like them.”</p><p>“You are special.”</p><p>“You were born different.”</p><p>“You are nothing without me.”</p><p>“Your power came from me.”</p><p>“I gave you the keys to your magic, and took them away.”</p><p>“You are just a ‘Doll Princess’.”</p><p>“You are <em> mine </em>.”</p><p>“No!” Luz shouted, and the card from before activated.</p><p>And there was ice.</p><p>The mirrors got covered in frost before the ice spikes started to grow from them, each one stopping before hitting the mirrors, but covering her field of vision, keeping the reflection… the illusion away.</p><p>“I’m not a doll… I’m not…” Luz whispered, backing away.</p><p>“Kiddo!” a new voice came, a familiar one.</p><p>Eda…</p><p>“Kid! Luz! Where are you?!”</p><p>Luz turned and looked around; she walked, taking one, two, three turns until she saw light, a big light ball floating over her mother’s head, getting the darkness away from her figure.</p><p>“Eda?” Luz asked.</p><p>The woman must’ve heard her. She turned and her face lit up at seeing her and Luz felt a warm sensation escalating through her chest, she took a step in Eda’s direction, then two, and then three…</p><p>“You are not hers,” Belos voice came from all places.</p><p>And Luz saw the reflection on the mirror behind Eda. She saw her illusion, the red eyes shining and the grin plastered on her face, she saw Belos, his stupid mask covering his face but she was sure he was smiling.</p><p>And she saw Eda, turned into her beast form and chained.</p><p>“This is what awaits you, my child,” Belos voice said and Luz stopped.</p><p>“Kiddo, I was so worried!” Eda said, closing the distance with her. “Why did you run off?! What-?!” She stopped and looked at her. “Luz…?”</p><p><em> “No… I won’t do that! I’m not that person!” </em>Luz thought, shaking.</p><p>But the image was there, hanging like a promise behind Eda’s back. The woman, ignorant of it, moved closer to Luz.</p><p>“Luz?” Eda asked, reaching out for her.</p><p><em> “ </em>You are my child, Luz…” Belos voice said, “You’ll do as you are supposed to.”</p><p>Luz couldn’t take it anymore.</p><p>She hit Eda’s hand and pulled away from her. She couldn’t do it! She couldn’t put her at risk, she couldn’t be there! She…She…</p><p>She couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe… she couldn’t…</p><p>She was lost!</p><p>She looked ahead, the illusions were gone, Eda was in front of her, her eyes filled with worry, but Luz couldn’t focus on that, she couldn’t focus on anything! Her heart was beating so fast, and her breathing was hurting her, and yet she couldn’t feel colder!</p><p>And the idea of touching Eda… of hurting her… of getting hurt…</p><p>She couldn’t, not anymore.</p><p>“Stay away!” Luz shouted and kneeled, leaning against a huge mirror. “Don’t come any closer!”</p><p>“Kiddo…”</p><p>“<em> No me toques! </em>” Luz’s scream was so powerful that Eda backed off. “Just… stay… way…”</p><p>She was not Eda’s daughter, she was no witch, she was not Willows or Gus’s friend, she wasn’t anything to Amity.</p><p>She was nothing… just as Belos said…</p><p>And she was going to hurt them all…</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Eda had been happy when she saw Luz, but the emotion hadn’t last.</p><p>The kid was shaking way too much and she had been so close to reaching her when she snapped. The hit was just the beginning, Luz moved aimlessly backward and practically crashed against one of the mirrors.</p><p>And after that she just… curled on herself, shivering, with her arms holding her so <em> desperately… </em>Eda had never seen Luz like that.</p><p>Well… just once, and she had practically lost her arm.</p><p>“Kid, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Stay away from me!” Luz shouted but she didn’t look up at her. “Just leave…”</p><p>“You know I won’t do that, just talk to me…”</p><p>“Stay away!”</p><p>“Luz-”</p><p>“Don’t come!”</p><p>“Luz!”</p><p>“I told you to go! Why won’t you?!”</p><p>“You are my family! I won’t go anywhere!”</p><p>“But I’m not!” Luz finally looked up. “I’m not your daughter, I’m just a nuisance! I’m probably related to the creepiest, most horrible guy in the isles! Just get rid of me now and be happy again!”</p><p>Eda’s heart stopped then and she broke a little—lot—inside. Luz had always been the one to play along with the family thing, with the stupid names a mother and daughter would share, she even made a stupid cup with the motto of the ‘Coolest Mom’ for her!</p><p>She had never said they weren’t family before.</p><p>“Luz, we <em> are </em>a family…”</p><p>“No! We can’t be!”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“We just can’t!”</p><p>Eda was beginning to lose it. “Luz, please, calm down and talk to me!”</p><p>“No! Stay away! You are not my mom!”</p><p>…Uh? Eda knew heartbreak, but that was a new level.</p><p>“I know you don’t mean that!” Eda shouted and got closer, holding Luz by the arms and forced her to look at her. “Just tell me! What’s happening, kiddo?!”</p><p>“I don’t know anymore, OK?!”</p><p>Luz’s words were stained in pain.</p><p>Eda stared at the kid, her body shaking and her eyes letting so, so many tears rolling down her cheeks.</p><p>“Luz…”</p><p>“I don’t know what’s going on anymore, Eda…” Luz whispered while freeing herself and covering her face with her hands. “I came here looking for an <em> escape </em> , for a family I wasn’t sure even wanted me… I wanted to be <em> special… </em> and now I have the chance, but it’s not… I didn’t want things to be like this…”</p><p>Luz started to cry harder, louder. And every sob, every scream made Eda feel more helpless. What was she supposed to do? It didn’t look like Luz needed a hug, nor a pep talk. <em> Heck, </em>it didn’t seem like she could touch the girl without breaking her!</p><p>“Since the fight with Belos… since he… he…” Luz took a sharp breath and coughed. “He said he was my… father… I… I-I just feel so… alone… like, like everyone is miles away from me…”</p><p>“What are you talking about? We are here, King and I, also dweebus one and two, and even the Blight kid, for Titan’s sake, we’ll count Hooty too if it’s what you want!” Eda said while kneeling. “You are not alone.”</p><p>“But I’m not the same anymore… I’m not a kid who is lost, Eda…” Luz looked up at her. “Belos said I’m supposed, <em> destined </em>to be with him… what… what if he’s right…? What if I don’t have a choice?”</p><p>Eda couldn’t take it anymore. Screw Luz—well, no, never, but she needed the expression—<em> she, </em>Edalyn, needed the hug she just gave the kid.</p><p>“Don’t go talking such nonsense,” Eda whispered, “never, and listen well. Never! Think ya are meant to be with a monster.”</p><p>Luz’s arms surrounded her, the grip was hard and <em> desperate </em>. “I don’t wanna hurt my friends, Eda… I… I’m so scared…”</p><p><em> “So am I kid…” </em> Eda thought. “I’m here… I’m not going anywhere, neither is King, or Hooty, nor your dweeb friends,” Eda said, pulling away, “We are a family, no matter what that blank face says, you are <em> my kid </em>, you are a Clawthorne, and we don’t listen to destiny, do we?”</p><p>Luz giggle, still crying. “No… w-we don’t…”</p><p>“Exactly, we have our way to do things, remember what I told ya, right?”</p><p>“If we waited for life to makes us special…”</p><p>“Then we’ll die waiting,” Eda finished, holding Luz’s chin and making her look at her. “That’s why…”</p><p>“…You have to choose yourself.”</p><p>Eda nodded, “We are going to crash Belos ‘destiny’, and make our own, got it?”</p><p>Luz responded by hugging her again, rubbing her face on Eda’s middle upper body until she left a huge sigh out.</p><p>“Gotcha… thanks, mom…”</p><p>And Eda smiled, it was ridiculous; just like that the pain from before faded, it wasn’t gone, but it was a start.</p><p>“… I’m never going to get tired of that…” Eda whispered, hugging Luz back. “You think you can go back to the carnival now?”</p><p>“I… I would like to stay like this a bit longer…”</p><p>Eda sighed and nodded. Closing her eyes she let the moment sink.</p><p>King could wait outside a few more minutes.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Miss. Blight, are you trying to tell us that you no longer want to be part of the apprenticeship program?”</p><p>Amity frowned and nodded. “Yes, that is correct.”</p><p>“May we inquire, why?”</p><p>When she got—against her will—to the Bonesborough Emperor’s coven outpost after her mother insisted she talked to them about Lilith’s actions during the duel, Amity wasn’t expecting what waited for her inside… or the fact that they practically dragged her by force to the outpost.</p><p>But back at the problem at hand, she needed to respond. “Many reasons…”</p><p>Amity stared at the group of old witches looking down at her. She had expected Lilith to be the one receiving her and talking to her, she hadn’t expected to have a face to face with some stupid council of the coven senior members. The air in the room was so heavy and she was sure that the paintings were whispering behind her back about all her walk towards the room she was currently inside.</p><p>“I’ve come to the realization that the abomination coven has more suitable ways of treating my talents,” she said, “and that my future is more connected to that kind of magic than what I thought.”</p><p>“Truly a sad development,” one of the witches commented.</p><p>“You are such a talented witch,” another one added.</p><p>The one at the center of the group cleared their throat. “Is that the only reason?”</p><p>“There had been some other… situations that put my life in perspective,” Amity replied.</p><p>“I see… while we would like to convince you to remain in the program, is ultimately your choice. We’ll notify your parents, the-“</p><p>“No!”</p><p>Amity wished to be buried alive at that same moment. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, if her parents learned about her leaving the program, who knew what they would do… who they’d blame.</p><p>She couldn’t let them find out, not like that.</p><p>“Sorry for my outburst,” she said, and with a deep breath, she braced herself, looking up. “I wish to tell my parents personally, since I got into the program by my own accord, I want to expose this change to them myself.”</p><p>The council was silent for a few seconds, Amity started to fear that she had just completely ruined it, she closed her eyes, waiting for the devastating answer… when she heard the door opening.</p><p>“I will deliver the news with her.”</p><p>Amity’s body paralyzed when she recognized that voice.</p><p>“Miss. Lilith, are you sure?” one of the witches asked.</p><p>Amity felt a hand in her shoulder and looked up to the Clawthorne, Lilith had a stern expression, her mouth into a perfect, thin line. And her eyes were sharp, cold.</p><p>“I, indeed, am. She was my star pupil after all,” Lilith said, and the perfectly composed tone had a… feeling to it, that made Amity remember this woman was the <em> head </em>of the coven. “If someone from the coven must tell them, it has to be me.”</p><p>“...As you order, Lilith,” the center of the council said.</p><p>“Good, now, we’ll take our leave, you are dismissed, too.”</p><p>Lilith pulled her along, leaving the room Amity felt the cold air on her face, returning her to reality, and she looked up to Lilith, the woman had a perfectly composed face, her eyes fixated on some point ahead.</p><p>“T…T-Thank you,” Amity muttered.</p><p>“Don’t, it’s my fault that you are leaving,” was the woman’s response. “Thanking me is the same as hitting me.”</p><p>“Oh, should I thank you more?”</p><p>“Cheeky. I didn’t remember you being so… sassy.”</p><p>“A lot had changed since you used me in your personal fight.” Amity turned to the front. “Why did you help me?”</p><p>Lilith kept quiet for a few seconds, then, she sighed. “I know how… complicated, can be to deal with your mother.”</p><p>“You do?” Amity asked, her mouth twisting in a smirk. “Doubt it.”</p><p>“I was her upperclassmen, and she always had that ‘know-it-all’ attitude,” Lilith whined, “even when I got better grades than her and beat her in Grugby.”</p><p>“My mother didn’t play Grugby.”</p><p> “Ha! On that we agree, she was a disaster.” Lilith laughed, and Amity couldn’t resist the little giggle that escaped her lips. “…Amity, I just wanted to apologize.”</p><p>That stopped the laughs, Amity turned towards the woman and Lilith let go of her shoulder, taking a step back and looking at her eyes.</p><p>“Apologize?”</p><p>Lilith nodded. “Yes, I had no right to cheat on your duel all those weeks ago, I was selfish; and frankly? Quite childish… and I’ll always regret the fact that my decision at that time pushed away from the Emperor’s coven… maybe not, I’ve been… re-evaluating my own situation,” Lilith said, “regardless, you are such a dedicated student; always improving… it has been an honor to be your mentor.”</p><p>Amity’s eyes stung a little, and she looked down. When was the last time someone other than Luz had acknowledged her efforts? It must have been a long time ago, because she was feeling a lot at that moment.</p><p>“Thank you…” she whispered and took a deep breath. “It was an amazing experience to be guided by you, Miss. Clawthorne.”</p><p>Lilith smiled at her, but her expression turned bitter and she leaned down, <em> hugging </em>her. Amity’s body went stiff and her eyes went everywhere, what was-?!</p><p>“Tell Lucelyn that something is coming,” Lilith whispered, “people are watching all of us Clawthorne.”</p><p>Amity’s mind got back to normal at that, the tension she felt was then different; it wasn’t embarrassment anymore, but dread. Amity nodded in the hug and surrounded the woman’s middle with her arms.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Lilith shook her head. “Don’t know, but please, warn her. Edalyn is powerful enough to look after herself… but the Emperor is restless, he won’t stop.”</p><p>The Emperor himself was after Luz. Not news for her. Amity nodded and pulled herself apart from Lilith’s embrace, she looked at the icy blue eyes with all the calm she could muster at that moment.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Don’t, because I can’t do anything else,” Lilith replied, and turned away.</p><p>Amity watched her disappear, blending into a sea of people before she turned her back and started to run towards the carnival that had arrived that afternoon. If she was lucky, maybe she could get to Luz before she left.</p><p>She had to warn her.</p><p><em> “What am I getting into?!” </em> Amity wondered, picking up her pace.</p><p>“Amity?!”</p><p>She stopped right there and turned ready to blast a fireball directly at the person, but she stopped when recognizing the white-ash hair and grey eyes.</p><p>“Skara?”</p><p>“Yikes! I don’t want to find out who you were aiming that thing.” She moved away from her aim, her red and black flannel shirt and dark pants making her stand out from the pink and purple background.</p><p>Amity groaned and put off her spell, massaging her eyes. “What do you want, Skara?”</p><p>“Want…? Oh, right!” She said jumping a bit, her leather boots made a sound <em> so </em>annoying. “Luz is fine.”</p><p>“…What?” Amity uncovered her eyes and moved closer to the bard witch, holding her by the shoulders. “What do you mean by ‘fine’? Did something happen?!”</p><p>“Wow, Woah! Calm down so I can talk!” Skara said, holding her by the arms. “She is fine, her mom found her and Gus just told me that Willow and Luz had a talk.”</p><p>“Gus did?” Amity asked, feeling how the relief washed down her body. “Wait, Gus?”</p><p>“Yeah, we text every now and then,” Skara said and shrugged, “point is, Luz, is OK.”</p><p>Amity left out a small whine and got her hands to her chest. “Thanks, Titan…”</p><p>“…You really are something else when she is involved,” Skara commented, “are you dating her?”</p><p>Amity’s peace died with that question.</p><p>“W-What?! No!”</p><p>“Really?! Titan, why?!”</p><p>“Not your business!”</p><p>“But you have a crush on her, right?”</p><p>“I’m not answering that!”</p><p>“Oh, come on Amity! We are friends!”</p><p>Amity glared at Skara while her face burned her. “Then tell me, who are you stalking?!”</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>“I’ve noticed you going out of your way lately, and whenever Boscha asks you, you just change the theme,” Amity said and looked away, “so you tell who you are meeting with or looking at if we are friends-!”</p><p>“O, that’s Willow,” Skara replied immediately, and Amity gaped. “Now, do you have a crush on Luz or not?”</p><p>“Wha-What?! Why are you stalking Willow?”</p><p>“I already answered one of your questions; I’m not answering others without your answer!”</p><p>“I won’t tell you!”</p><p>“Then I won’t stop asking!”</p><p>“You can’t follow me everywhere!”</p><p>“Wanna bet?” Skara said, smirking. “I’m the one girl who spent two days in a club she hated to learn a role for a play, think you can cope, Blight?”</p><p>Amity stared at Skara, the girl becoming more and more menacing with every passing second. She wasn’t joking.</p><p>“…I don’t have a crush on Luz, OK?” Amity groaned and turned away.</p><p>“Now that’s a lie! And not even a good one!” Skara reached. “I was working at the carnival, you know?”</p><p>“I would’ve seen you…”</p><p>“I was in a costume, ‘top student’,” Skara mocked with a playful grin. “So I saw all your little date.”</p><p>Amity tensed and frowned. “Are you telling Boscha?”</p><p>“Why would I do that?”</p><p>“Uh?” Amity Looked at Skara that time, her frown gone, replaced with a surprised expression. “Aren’t you friends with her?”</p><p>“I’m also friends with you and Luz, and being honest? You have enough with Willow for anybody to dare and go to add Boscha.”</p><p>“…Thanks, that’s…that’s very nice of you.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t sweat it, if the honesty is still a thing, I like Luz and you better than Boscha.”</p><p>Amity chuckled. “I never thought I’d hear you saying that.”</p><p>“And I never thought I’d tell you that I find Willow painfully cute, but here we are.”</p><p>“Right… so…Willow?” She asked, looking at the bard witch. “Since when?”</p><p>Skara giggled a bit and looked down. “A while back… before Boscha became obsessed… I… I think she is just so cute and she’s been so nice even with all the things I did…”</p><p>“At least with you.”</p><p>“…Yeah… anyway, you used to be her friend, right?”</p><p>“Kinda… it’s…it’s complicated.”</p><p>“I’m here if you need me,” Skara said, smiling at her. “Do…Do you know if she likes… well…”</p><p>Amity smirked. “Girls?”</p><p>“…I was going to say ‘me’, but that too.”</p><p>Amity took a deep breath and considered, Willow… she couldn’t really say anything to help Skara there, she wasn’t even sure if Willow still liked some of the stuff she knew she used to, but…</p><p>“I don’t think she likes you, sorry.”</p><p>“Nah, that’s OK, that’s OK… I haven’t exactly been ‘girlfriend material’ to have in consideration…”</p><p>“You are seriously going for her?” Amity stopped in a corner and Skara stopped a few steps ahead. “Weren’t you dating Chadly? And, what about Boscha?”</p><p>Skara looked at before leaving out a sigh; she looked down and played with the ends of her shirt.</p><p>“I’m not <em> dating </em>Chadly, we had like, one date, but everybody just expects me to be all over heels for him. I mean, he is cute but… but I don’t really want to date him.”</p><p>“…Then why?”</p><p>“Same reason you are friends with Boscha and me?” Skara offered, “People just… expect <em> something </em> out of me, Amity… it’s just!” She groaned. “They think I have to be the funny one of the ‘Hexside Royalty’, you are the smart, Boscha is the strong and I’m the charismatic… I have a <em> role, </em>even if I would prefer trying to flirt with Willow, or hang out with other witches.”</p><p>Amity stared at the girl in front of her as she had just met her.</p><p>Probably that was the case.</p><p>Skara had always seemed dim to her, in comparison with Boscha, she was always the one agreeing with things, following suit, and just staying out of the most dangerous things. She was the easy-going witch that kept doing things to smooth the relationship with others.</p><p>…But it was a front, just like Amity’s perfection façade.</p><p>“I never thought we were similar at all,” Amity said, smiling a bit, “guess I was wrong.”</p><p>Skara snorted. “I always thought we were both pretty cute.”</p><p>“Cheeky.”</p><p>“Objective.”</p><p>“Sure, sure.”</p><p>They both laughed at that, and Amity was glad to forget about the warning for at least a second.</p><p>She was talking to a friend.</p><p>“I think we should go,” she said after a minute. “It’s getting late.”</p><p>Skara nodded. “Yeah, my parents are going to get mad if I don’t come back on time this time.”</p><p>“This time?”</p><p>“That’s a story for another day,” was her reply, and she smiled. “See ya in class tomorrow?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Skara nodded again and turned, walking a few steps before stopping and looking back at her. “And, Amity?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I can’t go for Willow freely because of what I’ve done, but you and Luz? You have something special there,” she said spinning. “Don’t let your crush go!”</p><p>Amity’s face heated up, and the laughs from Skara’s part confirmed her suspicion that she was beet red.</p><p>“I don’t have a crush on Luz!” Amity shouted and turned to start jogging towards her house.</p><p>She looked up and saw the setting sun, a soft smile appearing on her face when Luz’s face came to her mind.</p><p><em> “I don’t have a crush… </em> ” Amity assured herself on her head. <em> “…But…But I think I’m falling for her…” </em></p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“What should we cook for dinner today?” Luz asked.</p><p>Eda sighed and looked up, the flight back home was resulting uneventful so far. She looked at the sleeping King who traveled between Luz and her, the bags with the clothes she had gotten the teen safely hooked on Luz’s arms.</p><p>Eda shook her head. “Don’t know, it’s been a long day.”</p><p>“Please don’t order food,” Luz said, “I don’t think I can stand another <em> squalad. </em>”</p><p>“Don’t remind me!” Eda whined. “That place sucked.”</p><p>She landed the staff a few meters away from the house. It had become a costume of theirs to walk the last few meters, Luz had suggested it as a way to get a bit more time without hearing Hooty’s voice.</p><p>“I think we can put up some sandwiches,” Eda said when they closed enough distance.</p><p>“Oh, but I have brought my great pasta,” someone else said from above them.</p><p>Eda looked up and saw a pair of giant wings attached to an even bigger head.</p><p>“Yiyi?!” Eda shouted.</p><p>Luz held her arm. “The ‘Bat Queen’?!”</p><p>The demon landed in front of them and smiled at Eda. “Hello, ‘Owl Lady’ and child.”</p><p>“Well, hello there,” Eda replied and crossed her arms. “What are you doing here Yiyi? Need help with your babies again?”</p><p>“Oh, no, no, Yiyi’s babies are angels,” the demon said and moved her head, the three babies flew out of her hair with a trail of pasta in their little paws. “They are helping to carry gift.”</p><p>“You brought food?” Luz asked.</p><p>“Kid, never ask that, just get it in the house,” Eda said and pushed, “We’ll be there in a minute.”</p><p>“Are you really going to tell me that you are about to talk ‘adult stuff’?” Luz replied.</p><p>“Nope, we are talking ‘ancient people stuff’, so go on!”</p><p>“OK, mom!” she said and made the last word longer. “Hey, babies let’s play ‘who can make Hooty shut up first’!</p><p>Eda saw Luz run towards the house with the unconscious King in her arms and laughed a little with the sight of the three baby demons flying over her and screaming at Hooty who just tried to reply to them before being interrupted by another screech.</p><p>“Your kid is real bright ‘Old Lady’, brighter than normal,” the demon said.</p><p>Eda remembered it, how Yiyi had described Luz that time, a long time ago when she had taken care of her kids, she had thought of it as delusions and some weird thing from part of the demon-woman.</p><p>But… well...</p><p>“Yeah, you said that before,” Eda replied and shrugged. “I get what you meant now.”</p><p>“Then you’ve grown.”</p><p>“I guess, I find myself wondering about that a lot.”</p><p>“That’s good.”</p><p>Eda smirked and laughed a bit. “Many people say that, the kid worked wonders on me.”</p><p>“She has something wrong, thou,” Yiyi said, “something real wrong.”</p><p>“What? Are you really going to tell me how to raise my kid?” Eda asked.</p><p>“No, no that, something in her is wrong.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>The ‘Bad Queen’ looked at her. “Her soul has been tampered with.”</p><p>Eda tensed and looked away, it hasn’t been even a week since she had learned how Luz made her bracelet, and Titan knew she was still trying to make peace with it.</p><p>“Yeah, it was something from long ago, she broke it.”</p><p>“Oh, but child’s soul is not broken,” Yiyi said, “just stretched.”</p><p>“…What?”</p><p>“I can see it, Palisman is the same,” the demon raised her paw and shoed Eda the interlock. “We are made by stretching witches souls, so we can be connected, that also lets family find us.”</p><p>“I know this!” Eda said, and held Yiyi by the face—she couldn’t hold anything else, really—and glared at the demon’s eyes. “What does it have to do with Luz?”</p><p>“…The kid’s soul is still intact,” she replied and freed herself from Eda’s hands. “The thing she charged can be remade and given back to her, and she’ll be fine.”</p><p>Eda felt like something was lifted from her shoulders and she actually almost fell to the ground. Her eyes went directly to where Luz was paying with Yiyi’s kids.</p><p>“Thank you for telling me this,” Eda said, “it…it means a lot.”</p><p>“I owned ‘Owl Lady’ for taking care of my children, this is nothing,” Yiyi replied. “But do not relax.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Oh, ‘Owl Lady’ your kid’s soul is no good,” she said, “there is a seal on it.”</p><p>Eda gaped and looked back at Luz. “A seal? You mean a curse?!”</p><p>“Yes, a curse, but it’s one I’ve never seen before.”</p><p>Eda closed her eyes and mouth and tried to think back to all the time she had spent with Luz, could it be possible that her curse passed onto her? No, that was stupid, King or Hooty would’ve been affected years ago. Then why? Why was her kid cursed?!</p><p>And it clicked.</p><p>“Belos,” Eda growled, “that bastard son of a-”</p><p>“I do not wish to inquire in the matter,” Yiyi said, stopping her, “but I must tell you that it’s a weird, but strong seal.”</p><p>“So what? I’ll just crush it!”</p><p>“Not good ‘Owl Lady’, not good.” The demon placed a wing on her shoulder. “The seal is directly over ‘Owl Lady’s’ child soul, if broken, soul will break too.”</p><p>“So there’s nothing I can do?!”</p><p>Yiyi shook her head in response. “But do not worry, seal is imperfect.”</p><p>“Imperfect?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s weakening, it will break down on its own,” Yiyi explained and smiled at her. “Now, shall we eat?”</p><p>Eda stared at the demon and then turned to look at the kids playing, she wanted to scream, to rush to Luz and examine her from head to toe almost desperately, hell, she wanted to storm into the stupid man’s castle and Blast him to oblivion.</p><p>But she couldn’t, not at that moment at least.</p><p>“Yeah, let’s eat,” she said and sighed.</p><p>She’d just have to deal with it all… she’ll find a way to deal with it all.</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>G_U: Boshca NO!<br/>Boscha: Wait, what did I do?<br/>G_U: Sorry, it's the costume *Turns to Willow* WILLOW NO!!!!!!<br/>Yeah, I did that, but hell I wanted to get this chapter out for so freaking LONG!<br/>Who wants to slap me? I mean, I want to slap myself tbh, baby Willow has an edge, like, a really bad one. But I mean, she had bullying and her best friend taken away so....<br/>Anyway~ Yep, I'm not a slow-burn writer myself, it stresses me!!! So here you go little people, hope you liked the dAtE!</p><p>Willow didn't, and poor Gus, people are going to drive him crazy.</p><p>Who is still so happy with Eda's mom's vibes? I love writing this, and I'd probably never get bored of it.<br/>Skara is a good gal, pretty good gal, I mean, I do see her as Luz's friend, and yeah, curveball!!!! Not<br/>I mean, I've been foreshadowing Sakara a lot, so... welp, I'll leave it to ya if it was good foreshadowing practice~~<br/>We have two arts this week!!!! The culprit? Coffee and the fact that people are lazy, people being me.<br/>Welp, this week we don't have a glimpse of the next chapter because is super heavy!!<br/>Also, Princess has been in my head for a long while!!! I really want to hear opinions regarding her, and who saw Belos action there? Eh? Eh? I mean, the seal has been there for a long-maybe short, it depends on perception-time, who guessed it? Without lying ppl! We are all fandom family... I think, not sure.<br/>A N Y W A Y...<br/>If you like Willow, please wait for it with anxious pacing instead of getting stressed (take care, my readers, I care 'bout ya all!)<br/>As always, I'll be answering questions as long as it's not spoiler driven and I'd love to hear your opinions and anything you can think of to improve y abilities to write better stories for ya!<br/>Without much more to say, I bid ya farewell!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Little Amity, Little Willow, And Not So Big Luz</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Carnival Behind them, school back on, and classes going on like normal... nothing went back to normal.</p><p>While Amity and Luz are kicking it off, Willow is getting bitter by the day, and the shadows around them are getting bigger and darker as the flames of despair and hate and... fear, keep getting bigger.</p><p>What would Luz and CO do?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, finally, update time!!</p><p>Not gonna lie, I've been wanting to get this on out for forever!!!<br/>Now, now, you've been seeing a lot of Willo, well, now we'll get into that head ON!<br/>We are going into a lot of other stuff, too, so better be ready, we are diving in!<br/>Playlist: Ordinary - Joriah Kiwamé/Silent scream - Anna Blue/Sorry seems to be the hardest word - Elton Jhon<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its characters, the music above neither belong to me and this story is made with the sole purpose of entertaining.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“Acceptance and forgiveness are two of the most fundamental needs for people. And just like the others, these are extremely hard to acquire.”</em> </b>
</p><p>“Come on, come on… work this time…”</p><p>Eda stared at Luz while the teen tried to do something with her light glyph card a few meters from her. Luz was glaring at the thing while extending her hand towards it.</p><p>“What are you even trying to do, Kiddo?”</p><p>“Is a surprise…”</p><p>“Not much of one if it doesn’t work, right?”</p><p>“Ugh…”</p><p>Luz didn’t move anyway, she kept glaring at the paper for maybe a few more minutes. Eda, on her part, decided that breakfast sounded good enough.</p><p>They were up so early that day.</p><p>The carnival had been four days ago, and Luz’s nightmares had been a problem once again. Not even Eda’s presence was able to hold the kid on the astral planes for more than a few hours, but it was better than nothing, so she hadn’t stopped.</p><p>There was also the curse… seal, whatever that was.</p><p>“Kid, you have school in less than an hour, don’t you think you could take a nap?”</p><p>“I want to get this working!” Luz replied, moving her hand a little.</p><p>Eda saw a faint light in the teen’s finger, but it was gone just as fast as it appeared.</p><p><em> “What-? A spell circle?!” </em>Eda’s thoughts were cut short, sadly enough, when Hooty opened the door.</p><p>“Luz! You’ll be late to school, Hoot-Hoot!”</p><p>“I know!” She shouted back and with a groan, she stood and walked to the glyph card, taking it and placing it back inside her side bag. “I’ll get it later…”</p><p>“Kid, what were you trying to-?”</p><p>“Gotta run, mom! See ya later!”</p><p>And she was gone.</p><p><em> “Luz was </em> about <em> to make a spell circle? But it was impossible for her…” </em> Eda thought while crossing her arms. “Just what in the-?”</p><p>“Eda!” King screamed from behind her. “The food is revealing again!”</p><p>“Wha-? King! I told you not to mess with my potions!”</p><p>Eda will have to deal with the killer vegetables first, and Luz’s sudden new ability later.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Amity groaned hiding her head in her crossed arms. “Today was supposed to be a good day…”</p><p>“It can still be…” Edric said, and then there was an explosion. “… Never mind.”</p><p>Amity looked up to where Emira was <em>hopelessly </em>trying to bake something. She wondered how come the fact that her sister was trying too hard to impress someone, that she had broken the sacred vow she made about never stepping inside a kitchen—to cook—again.</p><p>It was almost laughable.</p><p>“Who is the future victim of this?” she asked, looking with more care at her sister pouring <em>industrial </em>amounts of sugar into a mixing bowl. <em> “I’m, so, so sorry.” </em></p><p>“A girl from beast keeping that Luz introduced to her, or was it healing… maybe both? I don’t get how school works anymore…”</p><p>“Viney? But she is smart and Emira is-“</p><p>“Don’t you dare to finish that sentence!” Emira shouted, turning at them. “I’m smart, too, you know?! I have one of the best PGA in my year!”</p><p>“Only because all your important classes are practical and you use all your magic to prank people,” Amity said back, summoning her scroll. “Viney is in two of the most demanding tracks in terms of studying, you sure you can keep up with her?”</p><p>Emira pouted. “Don’t make my heart suffer because of my brain…”</p><p>“You are really smart, Em,” Edric said, smiling at her. “Mittens is just messing with ya.”</p><p>“Is she?”</p><p>“I am,” Amity said, looking down at her scroll. “But you better watch the oven.”</p><p>There was smoke coming out of it.</p><p>“Damn it!” Emira moved to the back part of the kitchen. “Where is the extinguisher?!”</p><p>“Do I throw water at it?!” Edric screamed while taking a bucket.</p><p>Amity stood up and left the kitchen. “Good luck!”</p><p>She opened her messaging app and looked at Boscha’s texts. There was that weird tension between them since she had gone out with Luz, Boscha wasn’t aware of it, but for Amity? It stood out—<em> painfully— </em>how Boscha was so aware of her looking at Luz, or how her levels of hostility towards Willow had also gone over the top.</p><p>The girl was in a feral state, and there wasn’t any sign of her stopping soon.</p><p>“Who would want to go to the market with you?” Amity muttered at the last photo Boscha had sent of her with her little squad minus Skara in a sacrifice shop.</p><p>That was another… situation.</p><p>Amity had noticed how Skara would avoid Boscha more than not. She had even caught the girl looking around almost furtively many times on the third floor, where the Healing, Plants, Construction, Potions, and sometimes Abomination’s track had classes.</p><p>But that floor didn’t have Bard’s track classes; ever… the stalking Willow thing was something serious, apparently.</p><p>But Amity wasn’t one to judge, really, with all the avoiding she had to pull off to hang with Luz and have their… dates?</p><p>She wasn’t sure to call them that.</p><p>Anyway, with all those escapades, she had pretty much become a ghost to Boscha and her group, appearing only when necessary or when their parents made the appointment, and Amity needed to keep the façade of her friendship working.</p><p>Her life was such a mess, one too big to try to deal with her newly made friend Skara stalking Willow without restrain.</p><p>While she massaged her nose bridge, Amity felt a buzz in her scroll and then looked at the paper to see the sign of a new message.</p><p>[Luz—Try not to fall for me—Clawthorne]: Ready for photo class today?! ~Willow and I are going to be seeing baby pictures~</p><p>She smiled at the stupid message and covered her mouth to avoid laughing… too hard.</p><p>Luz had been such a drag—in a good way—to her routine. Taking her away after class to parts of the market where Amity had never been before, or just hanging out with her in the library; they did many things, like studying or just sitting next to one another.</p><p>And it was… perfect, to say something, even if it sounded cheesy.</p><p>But there was an ugly spot on that pretty picture, one that Amity herself couldn’t deal with, yet.</p><p>Willow.</p><p>The plant witch had been restless on trying to keep her apart from Luz. If Boscha was Amity’s anti-Luz force, Willow was Luz’s anti-Amity’s force, if Luz’s movies references were enough example or guide, Boscha and Willow could even form an <em> alliance </em> to avoid them seeing each other!</p><p>…All right, she might have watched too many movies with the Clawthorne girl, just maybe.</p><p>She needed to send a reply, right.</p><p>[Amity—Falling for me hurt?—Blight]: Can’t say I’m waiting for it, you won’t be with me.</p><p>[Luz—Try not to fall for me—Clawthorne]: That was cheesy! But I do miss you too, maybe next semester. Anyway, see ya on the forest path! &lt;3</p><p>Amity smiled at her scroll for a long time… or at least enough for Edric to pop his head over her shoulder.</p><p>He smirked when she turned to face him. “How comes you are so confident on text but when you are face to face with her, you become a disaster?”</p><p>“I don’t!”</p><p>“Really? So this video of you smashing your face against a light post, glaring at it for three seconds <em> before </em> remembering it wasn’t alive and that Luz was behind you <em> and then </em> turn away and run, is not proof of anything?” He asked, summoning his scroll.</p><p>Why did that video even exist?!</p><p>“Accept it Mittens, if it wasn’t because Luz is sharp enough to notice, you’d probably be on a negation of your feelings right now,” Edric said while messing with her hair. “Imagine how that’d be, you, panicking! And Luz oblivious! So funny…! Thou, as things are right now is not so bad either.”</p><p>Amity was raging and she was sure her face showed it. “I’m not your entertainment show!”</p><p>“No? Well, you are actually good at it, so consider it,” he said, giving her bag and lunch. “Now, off you go, little disaster, or you’ll be late to pick-up your gal.”</p><p>“Edric!”</p><p>He closed the door in her face, and Amity made a mental note of burning his collection of chips that looked like great witches from the past.</p><p>But at that moment, she needed to go for Luz.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Skara sighed and looked at her scroll. “Another year…”</p><p>“Hey Skara, what are you looking at?” Amelia asked.</p><p>“Nothing!”</p><p>She had to hide her scroll before her green-haired friend could look at it. Next to them, Cat laughed and her glasses almost fell from her face while Skara felt the heat rushing up to her face, she bit the inside of her cheek and looked down.</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Amelia said, shrugging, “you could just tell me it wasn’t my business.”</p><p>Skara crossed her arms. “That would’ve been mean.”</p><p>“Boscha does it all the time,” Cat commented while cleaning her glasses.</p><p>“Boscha is Boscha.”</p><p>“Word,” Amelia said, “but still, what has gotten into you lately?”</p><p>Skara looked up. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“You’d been acting… strange. Like, the other day you just banished and came back almost half an hour later… did Chadly finally ask you to be his girlfriend?!”</p><p>Skara looked away from her friends and nodded.</p><p>Chadly was fine, he was pretty cute for a guy whose ears were three times bigger than what Skara was used to, and she did like him… but.</p><p><em> “It’s not only that…” </em> Skara thought, closing her eyes and getting her hand inside her pocket, fishing out a small flower.</p><p>A simple purple dray, almost out of petals…</p><p>“It’s so silly,” Skara whispered, returning the plant to her pocket and looking ahead again.</p><p>They had to wait for Boscha to get inside the school, the Grugby season was always hard to handle, and it was still at least a week from then! They haven’t even had ‘Grom’ yet!</p><p>But captain orders were orders.</p><p>She was happy to have the unstoppable win rate, sure, but Skara did miss it, the times when Amity was captain that is. Granted, she also wanted wins at all cost, but when Amity led, Skara could be a cheerleader and not part of the reserve team.</p><p>She didn’t like Grugby, like, at all, she could even say she hated the game! Scratch that, she had in fact said it.</p><p>But Boscha was captain, and she had asked Skara to play, and, just like always, she had to please her or risk getting dumped into the social death group. So she’d just play along with Boscha, she’d stay put with the status quo.</p><p>“Banshees!”</p><p>Skara looked up to find Boscha with a smirk and her hair perfectly tied, as always.</p><p>And she moved to stand behind her, as always.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“So… how is it going with all the Amity and Luz deal?”</p><p>Gus had dared many dangerous things in his life… well, fair, not that many, but asking Willow about that specific theme while she was holding a knife?</p><p>He deserved a medal.</p><p>“Nothing is going on with that,” Willow muttered, and at that time the wooden plate she was using to cut the seeds for her homework broke. “They are as merry as ever.”</p><p>“So hiding Luz shoes to make her late and avoid Amity picking her didn’t work?”</p><p>“... She got old heels from Eda and Amity had to help her walk the whole way here and even into her classroom.”</p><p>“Wow, that backfired worse than when you took Luz lunch’s money to get the food yourself and when you came back she was sharing Amity’s lunch.”</p><p>Next things Gus knew of the knife? It was stuck on the table.</p><p>The <em> stone </em>table.</p><p>“I need some air.”</p><p>Gus watched her walk out and sighed. Their first period just so happened to be free—his wasn’t, but his clone could cope—and Willow wasn’t happy with knowing that Luz had abominations first hour that day, with Amity.</p><p>“She needs to chill…” he muttered, standing up and walking out the common study room by the other door.</p><p>He almost fell to the ground when crashing against another person.</p><p>“I’m sorry- Skara?”</p><p>“Hey! Gus!”</p><p>He stared at the bard girl who was maybe a bit too giggly, with her hands moving a bit too much in front of her and stuff.</p><p>“What are you doing here? Did the Bard track have a free hour?”</p><p>That managed to snap her out of… whatever that was. “Ye-Yeah, we did, I was just walking around and…”</p><p>Gus cocked his head to the left when she left the sentence incomplete and looked to where Skara was standing before, there he saw a little note, and bent to take it.</p><p>The thing wasn’t folded, but it was certainly decorated and he read the words ‘Grom’ and ‘me’ before releasing what it was and looking away.</p><p>He shouldn’t read those things.</p><p>“I think you dropped this,” he said, closing his eyes and turning his head towards the girl.</p><p>He heard a little yelp and felt how the paper was taken slowly from him. He opened his eyes when he heard a little ‘thank you’.</p><p>“Y-You read it…?”</p><p>“Just the overall part,” he replied.</p><p>“Good, good…”</p><p>“I know it’s not my business but… are you not, you know.” Gus opened one eye to look at her. “Going with somebody already?”</p><p>Skara’s eyebrows rose at that. “Who told you that?”</p><p>“Nobody! It’s just… well, Chadly and you are, you know…?”</p><p>“What? Just because I went on a date with him I have to go to Grom, too?” Skara replied with a playful smile. “If he wants me to go with him, his proposal better be good.”</p><p><em> “He was getting a medical team so I think it will,” </em>Gus thought with a smile. “Got it… so… can I-?”</p><p>“Not telling ya who this is for,” Skara interrupted him. “I, on the other hand, am more interest in you, little buddy, I heard you aren’t getting a date.”</p><p>Gus smirked. “I’m not, not my thing, to be honest.”</p><p>“Not interested in rejection?”</p><p>“Not interested in dating, actually.” He shrugged. “I’m going, sure, and I’ll dance, but I have other things to do during Grom.”</p><p>“Like what? This is a party.”</p><p>“Every party needs a host, doesn’t it?”</p><p>Skara stared at him for ten seconds before her confused face transformed into a grin.</p><p>“No way! You are like, the host of Grom or whatever?! That’s incredible, amazing, awesometastic!”</p><p>“Hey, keep it down!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” she said, leaning closer to him. “But, like, that’s super important!”</p><p>“It’s not such a big deal, I’ll present Grom royalty and made some jokes…”</p><p>“Yeah, and that role is the dream stuff of the upperclassmen in the bard track, it’s amazing that you not being a senior, or even a junior, managed to get it!”</p><p>“Bump said it was nothing…”</p><p>“And he also said that trumpets and horns were the best instruments, take my advice? Don’t let him sell you short, you are impressive.”</p><p>Gus smiled sheepishly. “Wow, I, uh, thanks.”</p><p>“No problem! Hey, if you need help practicing your material, I’m your gal.”</p><p>“I’ll hold that up to you,” Gus said, “but I should probably go back inside, Willow is having a… hard time.”</p><p>Skara’s cheerfulness died in that second. “I’ve…I’ve noticed, it’s all alright? Boscha is been a bit… distant lately, but I thought she didn’t attack her lately.”</p><p>At the mention of the redhead triclop, Gus considered if telling one of said witch ‘besties’ about Luz and Amity was a good idea. Like, sure, Skara was super nice and charming, but she still hung out with the meanest girl ever, and that information could just slip.</p><p>And aside from that? He wasn’t a snitch.</p><p>“Just things with Luz,” he said, “but they are really close, they’ll figure it out.”</p><p>Skara nodded slowly and smiled. “Oh, got it… well, better move then, see ya around?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Nice.”</p><p>He watched her go and sighed when Skara has turned a corner, he really shouldn’t be playing such a dangerous game, even if he said so himself.</p><p>Gus looked inside the classroom, Willow was already back to her task of opening seeds, and the troubled expression on her face made him worry once more, and got his mind to wander back to Skara’s note.</p><p>
  <b>Willow, Grom, you, me?</b>
</p><p>“These people are going to make crazy.” He sighed, shaking his head and walking back inside.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“And then, King tried to eat ten times that amount.”</p><p>“I can’t believe it!”</p><p>“You better do!”</p><p>Amity laughed so hard at the face Luz made at that time that she had to hold her stomach, she looked down at their hands and her smile got softer.</p><p>It felt so nice to have Luz holding her hand.</p><p>“You are staring at them too much again,” Luz said, and her voice was a little strained. “You…you really don’t have to hold my hand if you don’t want to, y’know…”</p><p>“Stop it, OK?” Amity interrupted her and looked at her face. “I’m doing it because I want to.”</p><p>Luz blinked several times before looking down, her face slightly red. “I… OK, that’s cool…<em> Genial… </em>”</p><p>“Yes, great indeed,” Amity said, with a giggle before looking forward.</p><p>And feel how her entire face just became a forest fire.</p><p><em> “What am I saying?!” </em>Amity thought, holding her face with her free hand.</p><p>She was getting used to Luz’s advances, but it was just so much she could handle! One date, just one date had been enough to keep her away from sleep a whole night, not taking into account all the others—there weren’t even dates! Just meetings of less than an <em> hour! </em>—keeping her from concentrating in class. And she had to deal with holding hands and sweet-talking?!</p><p>She wasn’t made of stone, Titan!</p><p>The worst part was that she didn’t even think about it before it happened, all her words just… just came out when Luz was with her!</p><p>“I’ve been talking for too long…” Amity whispered, glaring ahead.</p><p>She didn’t expect Luz’s almost silent whisper. “You never talk enough… at least for me…”</p><p>Amity almost fainted at that.</p><p><em> “How far is Hexside?!” </em>She thought; her head was spinning.</p><p>How was she supposed to deal with that?!</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Willow was distracted all that morning after seeing Luz walk in with Amity, and that was an understatement.</p><p>She looked at the door, wondering for the fourth time that day if skipping the class she was in at the moment would be so bad for her grades in the long run. She was just learning how to avoid a plant to grow too big and kill a few thousand people.</p><p>Right, better to pay attention.</p><p>But still, she couldn’t avoid thinking about Luz’s free period at that very moment, one that she would be sharing with Amity.</p><p>“Miss. Park!” the teacher’s voice reached her, making her tense. “Would you mind looking at me while I give the class?”</p><p>Oh, great, again the half-a-witch Willow treatment. “I’m so sorry, prof-”</p><p>“I’m worried about you,” she interrupted her, “you’ve been spacing out, I expect better from you.”</p><p>“I… I’ll be more careful.”</p><p>She sighed and looked to the front, the teacher was just about to dominate a death gardenia and she should concentrate on that.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Why won’t you just get it?! You weirdo!”</em> </b>
</p><p>Willow’s hand stopped taking notes and she held back a groan. <em> “Why am I remembering this now?” </em> She thought, looking down at her notebook.</p><p>She had said something horrible, and Luz had said it didn’t matter.</p><p>But it did, it <em> annoyingly </em> did.</p><p>Luz was now distant with her, making sure to never say something too loud or too eagerly, she was just so… distant. And Willow couldn’t say anything to her, it was all her fault after all. She was the one who called her a weirdo, she was the one who said she didn’t belong even when she knew how hard was for Luz to deal with that subject.</p><p>She was the one who called the shots, and Luz the one who got hit.</p><p><em> “Concentrate!” </em> Willow lectured herself, forcing her face to look up. <em> “Not the time…” </em></p><p>The rest of her class was a hell to deal with. Her mind kept going back to the words she said, and how hurt and… and <em> betrayed </em> , Luz had looked. Willow fought her memories and the emotions those carried for as long as she could and barely managed to take notes and not get lectured <em> again. </em></p><p>She basically ran out of the classroom towards the cafeteria, if she was lucky enough, Luz and Amity might have decided to hang on that table that was just so far away from the others, that nobody could even make out who was there.</p><p>But of course, she had to rush into someone at that very moment.</p><p>“Watch it, ‘half-a-witch’!”</p><p>Willow looked up and repressed. <em> “Why, Titan…?” </em></p><p>“You aren’t going to say anything?” Boscha growled at her.</p><p>There was something off on Boscha’s expression; something she would like to know what was… any other day, that is.</p><p>At that moment she didn’t care.</p><p>“No, I have other things to do,” Willow replied while fixing her glasses back to their place and trying to pass next to Boscha.</p><p>“Oh, no,” she stopped her by holding her arm. “I think you’ve been forgetting your place lately-”</p><p>“Look, your act is old and boring, just let me go,” Willow cut her and freed herself with a move from her arm.</p><p>“Wha-? Just who do you think you are?!”</p><p>“The girl that doesn’t give a hoot about you at this moment,” Willow growled in response.</p><p>“Wait a second there!” Boscha raised a hand in her direction. “Are you-?!”</p><p>Willow glared and made a thorn-full vine grow; it hit Boscha’s hand like a whip. “Keep that hand to yourself, or I’ll break it.”</p><p>Boscha stared at her, but Willow ignored her and resumed her run. She reached the cafeteria without any other interruption.</p><p>But Luz was not there, neither was Amity.</p><p>“Shucks…”</p><p>Willow wiped her face with her hand and walked further inside, she was in her lunch break, after all, she might as well eat.</p><p>“Willow!”</p><p>Her ears perked at the voice and she turned to be faced with grey eyes looking her way.</p><p>“Skara, hey…” she replied.</p><p>The bard girl walked until she was standing next to her. “Glad I caught up with you!” She said, getting her fingertips together in front of her mouth. “Luz told me to tell ya that she was with Viney, taking notes on her notes about how to treat a broken bone.”</p><p>“Oh… thanks.”</p><p>“No prob!” Skara cheered, getting her hands behind her back. “Are you getting something in the cafeteria, too?”</p><p>Willow nodded. “I was just about to grab something.”</p><p>“Then let’s go together!”</p><p>Willow looked at the girl while she talked about her classes. Skara was being such a… friendly person.</p><p>It was… offsetting.</p><p>Since the carnival, she had been hanging around her and avoiding Boscha—at least it seemed like that—while just acting like she had been doing it for years.</p><p>“Hey, what are you doing after this?” Skara asked when she got her tray.</p><p>Willow blinked and took one herself. “I think I have a free period…”</p><p>“Lucky, I have to go to spelling,” Skara groaned and looked at the front. “We have history together next week, thou.”</p><p>“I guess- wait, we do?”</p><p>Skara nodded, getting a piece of apple pie. “Yeah, didn’t you check?”</p><p>“I…I checked about having history, but I didn’t know it was a mixed class with the bard track…”</p><p>“It’s not, we are getting class with Illusions, Potions, Bard, and Plant tracks all of us, together!” Skara replied, counting with her finger the number of tracks. “I think it had something to do with being the teacher’s birthday, or whatever.”</p><p>“I see…”</p><p>“Hey, you think I could sit with you guys that day?”</p><p>Willow stopped moving at that phrase.</p><p>“Willow som-?”</p><p>“What?” She interrupted her. “You want to sit with <em> us? </em> Having Boscha right there? Are you crazy?”</p><p>Skara stared at her and then around and when Willow imitated her; she caught the eyes of multiple people looking at them. She did blush a bit and looked down, moving along, Skara walked next to her.</p><p>“I want to sit with you guys, because you actually listen to what I say,” Skara whispered, “and don’t tell me to shut up every time I like what I’m talking about, you are nicer than my other friends, and I feel like… like we can actually be friends…”</p><p>“Friends?” Willow scoffed. “That could be the case, if you haven’t, y’know, bullied me for years.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry about that.”</p><p>“That won’t fix it.”</p><p>“But it’s the only thing I can do. I can’t change the past! I would if they let me in the graduate’s room…” Skara shook her head. “Willow, I’m sorry for all those times I helped Boscha out, I really, really, <em> really </em>am… but I can’t change nor forget it, or make you forget it.”</p><p>“You sure act like you can.”</p><p>“I’m trying to make amendments, but I don’t know how someone like <em> me </em> could make it up to someone like <em> you! </em>I mean, you have such amazing friends, talent, cuteness and-and” Skara sighed. “… I’m…I’m just trying to figure it out.”</p><p>Willow looked at the girl and she was… shocked. Just to begin with, Skara looked so sad and dejected, like someone had just thrown away something she loved.</p><p>Weird expression, but the impression fit.</p><p>“You are really sorry, uh?” Willow whispered when they reached an empty table.</p><p>“Of course I am!” Skara tensed after that and looked down. “Nobody should have to face something like that… even less being as kind as you.”</p><p>“Kind? I think you are thinking about the wrong person then,” Willow said, taking a seat. “I’m not that kind.”</p><p>She looked up, Skara stood there, next to her but didn’t move to take a seat.</p><p>“What is it?” she asked, taking a bite of her food. “Aren’t you going to sit?”</p><p>“C-Can I?”</p><p>“You are already here.”</p><p>Skara blinked several times before actually sitting next to her and starting to eat. Willow looked at her for a few seconds, running over the words the bard witch had said to her.</p><p>“You could hit Boscha,” she finally said, putting her fork down. “Or burn her hair a little.”</p><p>Skara looked back at her before smiling faintly. “What about changing her locker combination?”</p><p>“Dropping water on her?”</p><p>“Changing her perfume with vinegar?”</p><p>“Poking her third eye?”</p><p>“Getting her to think the cute ghost on the fourth floor wants to go out with her?”</p><p>Willow chuckled at that one. “Yeah, that would be enough.”</p><p>“…Really?”</p><p>Willow looked at the table and her eyes landed on Skara’s hand.</p><p>She was… trembling?</p><p>Willow’s eyes opened a bit at the revelation, well, more like an epiphany.</p><p>Skara was trying so hard to ask for forgiveness, and she was just hanging on to the bad memories, to the bad times… refusing to accept the facts that kept coming up, things that she kept avoiding to acknowledge just because she wanted to stay mad.</p><p>Just like what she did with Amity… she was just clinging to the bad things.</p><p><em> “I’m just like Boscha…” </em>She thought and sighed.</p><p>Her eyes went back to Skara’s hand.</p><p>And she took it.</p><p>“It will be a start,” Willow said, looking at the other witch.</p><p>Skara was… blushing? “I…I see…”</p><p>“Skara!”</p><p>Willow looked at the entrance of the cafeteria and found the ‘Banshees’ walking in, Boscha was glaring at everything on her way while Amelia and Cat look so <em> tired </em>.</p><p>“Where are you?!” Boscha shouted. “We have things to do!”</p><p>Willow looked back at the bard witch. “Things to do?”</p><p>“Probably Grugby… or bully you,” Skara said with a sigh. “I don’t wanna go…”</p><p>“Then don’t.”</p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>Skara didn’t say anything.</p><p>Willow sighed. “…I see…”</p><p>“I’ll send you a message if it’s about the second one,” Skara said in a rush while standing up. “So you can avoid us.”</p><p>Willow nodded and watched her go. Skara dropped the tray with the leftovers on the trash can and intercepted the ‘Banshees’ before they could see where Willow was. They were out of the cafeteria in no time.</p><p>Willow looked back at her food and then to her hand, and she wondered why had she done that.</p><p>“…My life is just upside down right now…” she whispered, standing up.</p><p>She had photo class after her free period, better just move.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“So… what are you trying to do again?”</p><p>Luz sighed and straightened her back. “I was trying to see if I could see the glyph for the healing spell…”</p><p>“Wild magic is hard, ain’t it?” Viney said with a smile.</p><p>Luz was looking at her notes about healing magic, <em> trying </em>to find a glyph, but hell, it was complicated! She also tried to see directly into the spell circle Viney was using to heal the poor bat-demon that had just crashed against a post on the street.</p><p>No luck there, neither.</p><p>“Horrible…” Luz replied with a small smile. “But it’s all I have.”</p><p>“Well, mate, sorry but I gotta go, my next class is about flying beast’s anatomy and <em> that </em> needs my attention.” Viney stood up and gave her a path on the shoulder. “Good luck.”</p><p>“Back at ya!”</p><p>Luz watched Viney entering the school building and turned to the sky again before letting her shoulders relax.</p><p>She was just so… tired.</p><p>She raised her arm, rolling the sleeve up, and stared at the wound on her skin. The scar was disappearing, but the place where the bracelet had fractured… broken, and where the metal had pierced her skin was still there.</p><p><em> “Eda said the seal should be here.” </em> She thought, running a finger over the scar.</p><p>Knowing that Belos had placed a… a <em> curse </em>on her was upsetting… and unsettling, both in equal parts. She wasn’t feeling… she couldn’t even say how she was feeling, let alone trying to figure out what that stupid curse was actually doing to her.</p><p>The sensation of being alone? The lack of Magic? The constant idea of everyone around her secretly hating her?</p><p>She was familiar with it all; Belos curse didn’t have anything to do with those.</p><p>“So what the hell is this…?” she whispered and covered her eyes with her arm.</p><p>Her scroll buzzed and she took it out, taking a minute before she looked at it, when she did, there was a message from Willow on the first page. Luz cringed a second before opening it.</p><p>[Willow—I have the brain cell—Park]: Remember photo class.</p><p>Luz relaxed, but didn’t bother in sending a response.</p><p>To top it all, things had been weird with Willow since that day at the carnival.</p><p>They had talked, sure, and Willow apologized earnestly, multiple times and she dared to say, <em> desperately </em>… but it was hard for her, really hard.</p><p>Luz knew it, that she was hard to handle after all.</p><p><em> “It was just a matter of time… </em>” She thought, putting the scroll away and hugging herself.</p><p>She stayed there until the bell rang, and when it did, she stood up and put on her best smile while turning around to go to class. Willow was—miraculously—still her friend, she couldn’t hold that tension between them forever.</p><p>Luz just had to keep herself in check, just like before.</p><p>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Lilith was about to lose her mind with the newest chore the Emperor had set on her.</p><p>“Why do I have to do this…?” she whispered, taking a new book from a shelf.</p><p>Who was she kidding? She was pretty much aware of her position after the Slitherbeast’s incident and the repercussions of it; she becoming Emperor Belos’ personal errand girl.</p><p>He didn’t care about her workload at all.</p><p>She moved past the ancient section of the archives and sighed while looking back on her tracks. The Emperor had demanded her to look into the records and the old rituals where witches used to combine their powers to manage greater and more powerful spells, along with more maternity books, and even more about a new topic.</p><p>The astral plane and the effects of it in the material world.</p><p>She didn’t have any idea what was running through his mind, she never had, but as a matter of the present, she was especially lost.</p><p>“D-Did you find everything you were looking for?”</p><p>Lilith jumped a little and turned around, she found a woman looking up at her from a small chair.</p><p>“When did you get here?”</p><p>The woman blinked several times before giggling a bit. “I was here before you, actually.”</p><p>“Oh… I’m sorry…”</p><p>“Don’t apologize, it’s a bad habit of mine.”</p><p>“Pardon me?”</p><p>“I like to go unnoticed, mostly,” she said with a small, shaky smile and made a spell circle, her silhouette disappeared right away.</p><p>Lilith’s eyes opened a little. “Impressive…”</p><p>“Thanks!” the woman said, appearing right at her side.</p><p>Lilith jumped a little and turned to glare at the woman, but stopped herself at the sight of the little, more confident smile on the other’s face.</p><p>“…What?”</p><p>“It’s the first time since you came down here that you don’t look miserable,” she replied, “so I’m happy.”</p><p>“What? That doesn’t make any sense!”</p><p>“Don’t scream,” she said getting a finger to her lips. “we are in a somewhat library.”</p><p>Lilith bit back her response. How dared that-?</p><p>“I don’t make much sense for most people, and I don’t intend to, I do what I want,” she interrupted her thoughts and Lilith found herself staring at the woman who was looking through her collected books. “Are you having a baby anytime soon?”</p><p>“What? No!”</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just…”</p><p>Lilith looked at the little mountain of books and sighed. “Those are not for me, my boss asked me to gather some… information.”</p><p>“Why would the Emperor want maternity books? I would get it if it was parenting…”</p><p>“I don’t have a clue.” Lilith sighed and tensed the next second. “How did you know those were for Emperor Belos?”</p><p>“You kidding, right?” she replied leaving the book in its place and fixing her glasses. “You are Lilith Clawthorne, the head of the Emperor’s coven. It’ll be ridiculous not to know my own boss.”</p><p>“…Boss?” Lilith repeated. “You are part of the Emperor’s coven?”</p><p>The woman smiled at her before moving back and making a little salute.</p><p>“Sub officer Klaris Sanders at your service, coven’s head Lilith!” she said, before smiling at her and sticking her tongue a bit by the side of her mouth. “I’m in charge of the archives, as you can guess.”</p><p>“I never heard of you.”</p><p>“Miss. Kikimora likes to keep me in secret since I’m a bit… much?” she said, shrugging. “I do not mind it, it means I can go out to the street and still go to fun places without ‘em hiding because of me.”</p><p>Lilith stared once more at the brunette in front of her and considered the ridiculous situation she was in.</p><p>And also the fact that she found herself envying the person in front of her.</p><p>How would her life be if she didn’t aim too high? If she just kept a comfortable position like Klaris had done? Would she still have a relationship with her sister? Would she be happier than she was? Would she have met her niece when she was born?</p><p>Would she still have a family?</p><p><em> “This is nonsense!” </em>Lilith thought and leaned against one of the bookshelves. “I’m not suited for something like that…”</p><p>“Something like what?”</p><p>Lilith jumped again and turned to the voice. Klaris was looking at her with… pity?</p><p>“Not your concern,” she groaned the response, “shouldn’t you go back to work?”</p><p>“My work is always done early since my illusions help a lot,” Klaris replied and walked to the small chair from before. “So I do have a lot of time down here.”</p><p>“I’ll remember to send more work.”</p><p>“And I’ll just make more illusions to help me out,” she replied, “you know, you might be my boss, but my work hours end a bit later today.”</p><p>Lilith’s jaw clenched. “What was that?”</p><p>“An insinuation for you to go drink with me.”</p><p>“Unbelievable.”</p><p>“Is that a no?”</p><p>“Why would you even suggest that?”</p><p>“Because you are hot.”</p><p>Lilith gaped and she was pretty she was blushing.</p><p>“Oh, my, Titan!” Klaris started laughing. “You are not used to flattering words? How?”</p><p>“I’m respected, feared-!”</p><p>“And a cutie,” she cut her.</p><p>And Lilith <em> squeaked! </em></p><p>“This is the best!” Klaris laughed and leaned closer to her. “You are so beautiful and you aren’t aware of it? I dug gold!”</p><p>“I understand Kiki now…” Lilith muttered and made a spell circle, the books she had gathered started to float outside the archives.</p><p>“Yeah, but I usually just made her mad, you are funnier, prettier, and more expressive,” Klaris said with a grin, stepping away. “But all jokes aside, I’ll be waiting outside the castle at seven, if you decide to go with me.”</p><p>“Don’t wait long,” Lilith replied with a scoff.</p><p>“So I’ll just wait for a little for you to show up?”</p><p>Lilith didn’t say anything to that and left the place.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>It was pleasant to be back to the throne room, at least that’s all Belos would say about it.</p><p>He looked at the huge place and took a sit on his throne, the familiarity of the place was refreshing and even the taste of the air was different from his chambers. The dim light from the torches was calming.</p><p>However, he was still weak.</p><p>“This is resulting… troublesome,” he whispered, raising a hand and looking at the limb shake. “The time is getting closer…”</p><p>There was a knock on the huge doors and he closed his eyes before turning towards the entrance.</p><p>“Come on in, Lilith.”</p><p>The Clawthorne did as she was told and walked inside, behind her, a line of books entered and started to pile itself next to her in front of him. Belos remained still, watching every movement with care.</p><p>“Took you long enough,” he said.</p><p>She nodded, not daring to look up at him. “I was looking on the older archives, in hopes to find something that suited your demands.”</p><p><em> “Of course you were.” </em>Belos thought, making one of the books float towards him.</p><p>Fairly old and carefully handled, the cover was worn out, but the pages remained almost intact. He smiled a little—not that anyone would ever know—at the sight of proper explanations of blood relations between family members.</p><p>“This is acceptable, good work, Lilith,” He said, closing the book.</p><p>Lilith didn’t move when she responded. “I’m not worthy of your praise.”</p><p><em> “But of course you aren’t.” </em> Belos thought while his magic placed the book back with others.</p><p>He knew what Lilith was thinking, he was wiser than her after all.</p><p>“How is the other situation coming along?” He asked.</p><p>That time he got a reaction. Lilith tensed and she started to shiver, Belos found it amusing, at least. There was something in seeing the composed woman who would talk to him about hunting her sister with the sternest face, panicking over said sister and her child.</p><p>The fall from glory was so entertaining to admire.</p><p>“We are still looking for her.”</p><p><em> “Sure you are.” </em>Belos shook his head and leaned on one of his hands. “I’m getting tired of your incompetence, Lilith.”</p><p>“I… I have no excuse.”</p><p>“No, you don’t, but I’m getting used to sharing my benevolence,” he replied and made a spell, pushing her down, her face hit the floor. “But everything has limits.”</p><p>“I-I…”</p><p>“Silence,” he ordered, “I’m just so tired, and the time is running short, Lilith. I expect results within two weeks, or you’ll be sent to the dungeons until you remember <em> your place!” </em></p><p>He didn’t care about her response. With a move of his hand, the woman got sent out of the room and the doors closed immediately after. He made sure to have them secured before letting out a cough.</p><p>Using magic was such a straining process.</p><p>“Bring me Luz, Lilith,” he whispered and leaned back on his throne. “Her role is about to commence.”</p><p>He closed his eyes and raised his hand, a piece of metal appeared on it. He looked at it, the dark and broken shard of Luz handy work was gone, now reshaped, reformed…</p><p>Into something Titan would approve… into something that it should’ve always been…</p><p>“Your time is closing by; little witch…” he whispered, raising the little medal. “And it’ll be worth the wait…”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>There was a strange air while they were in photo class, and even while knowing it, Willow couldn’t do anything about it.</p><p>Luz was acting mostly normal, but there was that… distance, between them.</p><p>She still made her funny comments, but she wasn’t trying to hug her so much, she wasn’t trying to talk too much, like she was keeping her words in check, a count of how many she would say before staying quiet until Willow herself decided to talk and keep the conversation alive.</p><p>Like she was pretending to be herself.</p><p>“I’m gonna go for one more!” Luz practically sang.</p><p>Willow giggled a bit. “Be careful with my brain.”</p><p>She felt the little tug she was told would happen, and then something from inside her was… she couldn’t really describe it. It was not like she lost something, nor like she gained something.</p><p>It was like, for a moment, there was more in her head and then there wasn’t.</p><p><em> “It’s really a strange feeling.” </em>She sighed at the thought and looked at Luz who was placing the pictures on the cord.</p><p>“Oh my god, you have an awkward hair day, too?!” Luz said, and Willow smiled at the old picture. “I knew we were meant to be friends!”</p><p>Luz showed her a picture of her with a mess of braids and ribbons and Willow wanted to laugh so hard at that… but the tone Luz had used on that last phrase killed the joy in her.</p><p><em> “I wish you could still mean that.” </em>Willow thought, looking at the rest of the pictures.</p><p>And when the last one was revealed, she tensed.</p><p>“No,” she whispered and moved as fast as she could towards it. But the teacher stopped her before she could get her hands on it.</p><p>“Be really careful,” she said, stepping between Willow and Luz. “If you damage the prints, you damage the memories themselves.”</p><p>“And people said that brain surgery was hard,” Luz commented, “but I have to give it to them, it’s intense.”</p><p>Willow’s life next seconds were just dreadful. Luz looked at the photos, she passed through the hair one, the one from her first time helping her dad with animals, then one on the park, and finally.</p><p>The one with Amity.</p><p>“Oh…” Luz said and took the photo. “… You didn’t want to show me this, did you?”</p><p>Willow stayed silent and Luz sighed after a few seconds, placing the picture back in place. They didn’t talk anymore after that, the bell rang and Luz just stood up, walking outside the classroom without her.</p><p>She just stayed until everybody else was gone and once alone, she turned towards the picture.</p><p><em> “I wish I never believed in you…” </em>She thought and ran a finger over the silhouette of the two kids in the photo. “I wish I never was so naïve to think you cared…”</p><p>Willow stood up and walked outside the classroom. She didn’t need to see the stupid photo, as she always said, out of sight, out of mind, right?</p><p>She didn’t need to remember those days… nor those feelings…</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“I’m gonna make that ‘half-a-witch’ pay!”</p><p>Amity was having a regular day until she heard Boscha break into the history room and started blasting stupid complaints about how Willow had finally stood up for herself against her.</p><p>“She didn’t let you walk over her,” Amity said, taking her books and walking towards the door. “Big deal.”</p><p>“No!” Boscha shouted.</p><p>And Amity was against a wall with Boscha glaring at her.</p><p>“You are supporting <em> her </em>?! That’s the last straw, Blight!”</p><p>Amity glared back at her. “What are you talking about? ‘Last straw’?”</p><p>“You’ve been on the ‘half-a-witch’ side since that wanna-be criminal came here!” Boscha replied, “You don’t hang with us anymore, and you had that stupid rage attack when we did the conjuring, and I’m not blind! I know you look at that stupid pleb daughter of a savage! And that you are getting all cozy with <em> my fucking Willow! </em>”</p><p>Amity’s rage escalated rather quickly.</p><p>“Shut it, now,” Amity growled the words, “you don’t want to keep talking.”</p><p>“Oh, but I do want! You’ve been leaving us aside for <em> her! </em> Don’t you dare to forget who you are, and who you are messing with, the ‘half-a-witch’ and you both are mine!”</p><p>“Yours?! Just who am I Boscha?!” Amity shouted, stepping closer to the other girl and making her back off. “Come on! Clarify it for me!”</p><p>“You are <em> mine!” </em> Boscha said, holding her by the collar of her robe. “You are supposed to be <em> my </em> friend; you should be on <em> my </em> side! And that ‘half-a-witch’ should be grooving me from under my foot! I’m the talented one! I’m the captain of the sports team! I’m the one who should be reached out for! I’m the one you all should be looking at! Not some ‘half-a-witch’ and most certainly not a stupid <em> false witch!” </em></p><p>Amity would’ve liked to say she didn’t know what she did.</p><p>But that would be a lie.</p><p>She punched Boscha straight in the face and the girl dropped to the ground.</p><p>“Don’t, you dare to talk about her like that!” Amity shouted, “Luz is nothing like that!”</p><p>“Why are you defending her?!”</p><p>“Because, unlike you, she deserves it! How can you be so self-centered, selfish, and annoyingly immerse in your stupid ego?! Hey, here’s a thought, <em> maybe </em> Willow would look at you without you having to pull her hair like you are some stupid baby if you acted like a <em> decent </em> person!”</p><p>“Why are you bringing the ‘half-a-witch’ into this?!” Boscha screamed standing up.</p><p>“Because it’s what this is <em> always </em> about! The fact that you are obsessed with Willow! I’m tired of it!”</p><p>Amity took her things and stormed out of the room. Before she could get too far, she felt a hand closing over her shoulder. She turned around and Boscha pushed her inside another classroom.</p><p>“Don’t you think you can walk away from me after that, little ‘Miss-perfect’! We are not done!”</p><p>“Go bite a Grugby ball! Because I’m done with you!” Amity dropped her books and poked Boscha in the chest with her finger. “The <em> only </em> reason for me to be friends with you was because my mother ordered me to do so! I don’t, never <em> ever </em> have and probably never will <em> stand you! </em>So leave me alone!”</p><p>Amity was pathing and her throat was sore. Boscha stood in front of her with the most surprised expression Amity had ever seen on her face. The redhead closed her eyes and when she opened them she glared at her, but there was no rage in her eyes.</p><p>Only… sadness.</p><p>“I see,” Boscha said and straightened her back. “So you never wanted to be with me.”</p><p>“…No, never,” Amity replied, calming her breathing. “You have always been a horrible person...”</p><p>“So that’s what you think of me?” Boscha asked with a chuckle. “After everything, I did for you?”</p><p>“After ‘everything you did’? Boscha, you <em> ridiculed </em>Willow in front of me, you pushed every person that could’ve been my friend except from you and Skara away, hell, you got a teacher to quit because he wouldn’t let you sit next to me!”</p><p>“I did that for you!”</p><p>“…How can’t you see that that’s not true?” Amity shook her head. “Boscha, in all the time I’ve known you, you have always done things for one person.”</p><p>Amity bent down and took her books before looking back at the potion’s witch, her eyes were on something past her, but Amity didn’t have the time or the energy to care about what it could be.</p><p>“Yourself,” she finished, starting to walk to the door. “And I can’t <em> ever </em>want to be with someone like that.”</p><p>She was almost at the door when she heard a sob.</p><p>“…But you want to be with the ‘half-a-witch’?” Boscha muttered, “You want to take her away again?”</p><p>Amity stopped and turned around. “What?”</p><p>“You were friends with her, right? You want to leave me out, <em> again! </em> ” The redhead asked and walked further into the room. “You <em> wanted </em> to be with her, right?!”</p><p>“Boscha?”</p><p>“What does she have that I don’t?!” Boscha shouted and made a spell circle, a mass of fire appeared in her hand. “Why…? Why…?!”</p><p>Amity finally took in her surroundings and she was pretty sure she went pale at that moment.</p><p>The photo class.</p><p>“Boscha, stop it!”</p><p>But Boscha didn’t hear.</p><p>Amity saw how the fire reached photos… Willow’s photos.</p><p>“What are you doing?!” Amity shouted, pushing Boscha aside. “You could permanently damage her mind!”</p><p>There was a flash, a moment in which Boscha’s eyes widened and the utter terror and remorse filled her expression, taking Amity by surprise and making her gape. But it had been that, just a flash.</p><p>And something snapped… broke, in Boscha’s eyes.</p><p>“G-Good! Ma-Maybe that way she would get where she belongs!” Boscha replied her eyes on the ground, she pushed Amity and rushed out the room.</p><p>Amity wanted to go after her, to make her pay for what she just did, but the images were burning, Boscha had made sure to set every single one on fire. She looked at the remaining memories with grim, seeing how the burned edges went closer to the center of those.</p><p>She needed help.</p><p>So Amity summoned scroll and called the only person she could think of. “Luz! Something horrible just happened!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....</p><p>Luz was trying to keep a cool head with the whole situation of Willow being about to lose her mind, she really did, but…</p><p>“Aaron is going to kill whoever did this,” Eda said and Luz hit her head against a wall.</p><p>“What about Marcus?” she asked.</p><p>“He is going to revive them and then kill them again.”</p><p>Luz wanted to cry because she could see that happening.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, I should’ve stopped Boscha,” Amity said while pacing around the—now, because before it was impossible to deal with—unconscious Willow. “How did I let this happen?”</p><p>“Amity, it’s not your fault, Boscha did this,” Gus said from his spot on the floor.</p><p>Luz looked at him, his project for journalism class was clearly a last-minute job, and still, he stopped it all to help Willow. Her eyes also went to Amity who was panicking over the unconscious witch.</p><p>“What do we do, Eda?” Luz asked, walking up to her mother. “Is there a way to help Willow?”</p><p>Eda looked at her and then at Willow before sighing. “There is a way.”</p><p>“Really?!” Gus and Amity asked at the same time as her.</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s extremely dangerous and partially illegal.”</p><p>“So… we are in the right place, correct?” Amity commented and Luz giggled.</p><p>“Who would’ve thought of you having such a wit, short stuff,” Eda commented, “but yeah… I’m not precisely comfortable with this.” She groaned. “Stupid motherly instincts…”</p><p>“Eda, please,” Luz said and held her hand, “I need to help Willow.”</p><p>Eda looked at her and sighed, raising both hands. “I get it I get it, let’s do this.”</p><p>“Yes!” Luz cheered, “…Do what, exactly?”</p><p>Eda chuckled. “I’ll just send you into her mind so you can fix the issue.”</p><p>Luz was pretty sure her eyes lit up. “Going into my friend’s mind?! I know this is not the best situation, but this has always been a dream of mine. Thank you ‘Boiling Isles’…”</p><p>“Only two of you can go in, thou,” Eda said, crossing her arms, “the mind is a delicate place after all, so… who is going in with Luz?”</p><p>“I’ll go,” Amity said.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Luz asked, taking the other’s witch hand. “I don’t think you’ll see very… comforting things in there.”</p><p>“I didn’t stop Boscha, so this is my fault as much as it’s hers,” Amity replied, squeezing her hand. “And I was her friend before any of you, the memories that got damaged were really old ones, I think I’ll be of some use there.”</p><p>Luz smiled at her and nodded before turning towards Eda.</p><p>“OK, so,” Eda made a spell circle and handed Luz a bell. “Sound that when you are done, and I’ll make sure to pull you out, oh, and once inside keep an eye open for her ‘inner Willow’.”</p><p>“Inner Willow?” Luz asked.</p><p>“It’s a manifestation of her desires, emotions, and other stuff, it might help!”</p><p>Eda didn’t give them time to react and sent them inside the spell.</p><p><em> “Resist a bit longer Willow, we are going to fix this!” </em> Luz thought when she felt something like ground under her feet. “Let’s do this.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“What did I do? What did I do?”</p><p>Boscha was leaning on the door of her private changing room while holding her head. Her heart was beating like crazy and her throat was so dry.</p><p>She just… just destroyed someone? Like, literally?</p><p>“No… No… No…”</p><p>Boscha groaned and pulled her hair, her bun dissolved and she looked at her reflection. Was she <em> crying </em>, really?!</p><p>“What is wrong with me?!” she shouted and smashed the mirror. “…Seriously… what the hell…?”</p><p>Boscha fell and covered her face again, she felt something hot rolling down her hand, but didn’t dare to look up. Her mind was still going back to the fight with Amity, the words the teal haired witch had said, the look of utter despise in her eyes… and then she had seen the stupid photo.</p><p>Amity and Willow hugging… bonding… all those stupid things!</p><p>Why they could have that?! Why were they allowed to have friendships like those?! Why them?!</p><p>“Why them?! Why them?! <em> Why them?! </em>” Boscha cried and left out a broken sob. “Why they could be like that when I was so-”</p><p>She stopped herself and shook her head, hugging herself and lowering her head even more.</p><p>She had destroyed a memory print, she had taken the class before, she knew what she just did to Willow, and no amount of bullying was even close to that.</p><p>She just destroyed her… she just took her away from everyone, including herself…</p><p>“Really…” Boscha whispered, her grip on herself was so hard that her nails dug themselves in her sink. “What, in the name of Titan, is <em> wrong </em>with me?”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Willow and you used to hang a lot,” Luz commented.</p><p>Amity nodded and sighed at that, the vision of her past friendship was as hurtful as she had imagined it.</p><p>Maybe even worse.</p><p>“We were best friends, after all,” she said, her hand going over the silhouette of Willow and her in the little fort from their swimming classes. <em> “I wish we have stayed like that.” </em></p><p>“…You, OK?” Luz asked, holding her hands. “I know this is not easy for you.”</p><p>“I’m… I’m coping,” she replied, smiling at Luz.</p><p>The other girl grinned at her and got her hands to her lips, kissing Amity’s knuckles.</p><p>“Tell me if it gets too difficult, please?”</p><p>Amity giggled and blushed <em> so hard </em> before daring to nod at the other girl. Luz pulled her along towards their next memory to restore; thankfully she walked ahead, giving her time to fix her mind.</p><p>She was in the middle of a mission there, right?! She shouldn’t be getting all giddy about Luz’s hand holding her!</p><p>“We fixed a lot of old memories, but there are some we still can’t get in…” Luz commented.</p><p>Amity came back from her own head with that.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>She looked at the frames they haven’t been able to get inside of. Many of them were from the first years on Hexside, if the little parts that haven’t been burned were something to guide them. Amity couldn’t place herself into those moments.</p><p>She hadn’t talked to Willow during their first years, all for the sake of keeping her act.</p><p>“How does this fire even extend?” Luz asked, stopping next to a few pictures that haven’t been touched. “I mean, I’ve seen at least, half, that hasn’t even been heated.”</p><p>Amity looked at the picture next to them, a family one of Willow and her dads in a picnic. “Don’t know.”</p><p>“Don’t you think we should investigate it?”</p><p>“How? We are barely getting some of her memories fixed,” Amity sighed after saying that. “Maybe forgetting somethings won’t be that bad?”</p><p>Luz turned back at her and shook her head. “That won’t do.”</p><p>“How are you so sure?” Amity placed a hand on the frame of the picture. “Even I have things I’d like to forget.”</p><p>“I get that feeling, too, but…” Luz moved and got next to a burned picture. “I think forgetting is just… sad, you know?”</p><p>“…Sad?”</p><p>“Yeah… I have things I want to forget, things I think I should but… but when I think about it, those things made me who I am,” Luz spun over herself and looked at her with one expression Amity had never seen before.</p><p>She was throwing a smile so sad and so… pleased at her, a living contradiction.</p><p>“And without those things, I wouldn’t have come with Eda, wouldn’t have met King, Willow, Gus, Skara, Viney, Jerbo, Barkus, or principal Bump!”</p><p>Luz walked up to her and hugged her, burying her face in her shoulder.</p><p>“Without those things, I wouldn’t be able to do this with you…” she whispered. “So I don’t think she should forget those things.” Luz pulled away and smiled at her. “But that’s just how I feel, it’s pretty selfish, right?”</p><p>Amity stared at the girl in front of her before breaking into a fit of laughter, she was shaking from it.</p><p>“Only you can say something like that and then dismissed it,” she said, “I think it’s a bit selfish… but I don’t believe that it’s wrong.”</p><p>“…No?”</p><p>“Nope, you just keep surprising me every time.”</p><p>Luz blushed at that and Amity felt a little nudge of pride in being able to get her to do so. Usually, she was the one getting all frustrated about Luz making her nervous.</p><p>“We should probably fix these, right?” Luz said, looking aside.</p><p>“Don’t know, shall we, Luz?” Amity said, making sure to last a bit longer in the other’s name.</p><p>Luz coughed a bit and nodded earnestly before jumping inside a memory. Amity giggled a bit more before moving towards the picture-</p><p>Just to get her path block by a wall of fire.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>She turned and had to dive immediately after. She rolled on the ground for a few meters before looking up. Her gaze met the eyes of a flaming figure, the fire was a toxic green shade and the beast was dashing towards her.</p><p><em> “Really?! Just when Luz went ahead?!” </em>Amity thought, standing up and looking around.</p><p>The picture of their fort caught her attention and she rushed towards it, jumping inside. She rolled once again, that time she crashed on the sand and barely managed to stand up in time to face the flaming monster.</p><p>“You couldn’t appear when I was with Luz?!” she shouted and made a spell circle.</p><p>The monster roared and blasted fire against her. Amity made her abomination appear next to her and jumped to the side. The monster charged at her and she ran towards the deck.</p><p>“I hope hanging with Luz makes stupid ideas plausible!” She whispered while stopping at the end of the deck.</p><p>The monster was rushing at her. Amity waited for it to step as close as possible before rushing towards it.</p><p><em> “Really hoping not to die!” </em>She thought, dropping herself to the ground and sliding under the beast.</p><p>But her escape wasn’t done. She moved her abomination and managed to make it jump against the monster before it could recompose, the crash dissolved her abomination almost instantly…!</p><p>But it was enough to push the fire mass into the water.</p><p>Amity stared at the steam coming out of the pond and gaped. “I-It worked? Wow… So this is how Luz feels most of the time?”</p><p>Sadly enough, her little rush of pride-for-success didn’t last long.</p><p>“Why are you talking about her?” An ominous voice said, and Amity tensed.</p><p>From the pond and within the steam, she saw a silhouette emerged. Amity recognized the dress, the hair, and most of all, the eyes.</p><p>“Willow?!” She asked, standing up. “... No… you have to be the inner Willow.”</p><p>“I used to be,” she responded, “but now, I’m just <em> anger! </em>”</p><p>“Anger?!”</p><p>Amity saw the inner Willow amass a massive fireball and dropped to the ground just in time to avoid it, but she wasn’t fast enough. Inner Willow was over her in no time, glaring at her.</p><p>“Why can’t you just disappear?!” She screamed.</p><p>“Why would I do that?!” Amity responded.</p><p>And inner Willow laughed. “You didn’t have a problem before! Did you?! You <em> left me! </em> And now you come back, acting all giddy and stupid with Luz?! Wasn’t it enough to break me?! Why are you trying to break Luz, too?!”</p><p>“What? I’m not trying to do anything like that!”</p><p>“Liar! All you care about is yourself!”</p><p>Amity felt something burning her, and she fell again, that time she didn’t land on sand, but on a wooden floor. She looked around, the posters on the walls, the furniture, the decorations…</p><p>“My room…?” She whispered.</p><p>“Yes,” inner Willow said and stood up, pulling her up by the collar of her robe. “And the place, and moment when you destroyed me.”</p><p>Amity’s eyes went wide at that. “No… not this memory!”</p><p>“What happened? Too scared to go down memory lane?”</p><p><em> “Yes!” </em>Amity thought, closing her eyes.</p><p>“Amity, wait!” a little voice said.</p><p>And she knew it. Amity knew she was about to revive the worst day of her life all over again.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“This is not it, either!”</p><p>Belos threw the book away and groaned when it crashed against his wall.</p><p>He wasn’t progressing at all! All the stupid literature was about <em> love </em> , and <em> recognition </em>. He needed a real connection! He needed wavelength studies, relations between parents and child’s magic, and their effects on one another!</p><p>Lilith’s first batch had looked promising, but nothing more than that.</p><p>“I need <em> real </em>answers!” He shouted and started coughing. “Damn this stupid-”</p><p>A new attack of cough made him stop and walk towards his bed, there, he pushed a stone at the right side of it and the wall opened up. There, neatly arranged awaited a small group of Palisman. He took one out of the place and cracked it open. The bile on it was a bright blue.</p><p><em> “You shall serve a new purpose.” </em>He thought while looking at the ceiling.</p><p>He moved the opened Palisman over his eyes and left the bile fall on them, the liquid was warm and it gave him the strength to stand straight once more, he groaned again and looked at the piles of books he had already finished.</p><p>“Nothing, absolutely nothing…” he whispered and walked to the last one he had. “The time is closing by… I need to be prepared…”</p><p>Belos eyes landed on his mirror. His reflection on the dark surface was filled with cracks and the light in his eyes was becoming dim.</p><p>“I need to find that ungrateful child…” he said and looked at the table on the corner.</p><p>On top of it awaited a ceremonial dagger, a flash full of purple liquid, and a medal.</p><p>Belos nodded before opening a new book. “She has so much ahead of her.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“You came back way faster than I thought,” Klaris said, “fell for my charm so fast?”</p><p>“Silence, please,” Lilith replied.</p><p>She ignored the brunette and walked directly to the deepest part of the archives. Once there, she stopped holding her side and leaned on one of the tables.</p><p>Her wound opened and she groaned at the burning sensation on her side.</p><p>“He just <em> had </em>to push me downstairs, too,” she groaned and made the healing spell.</p><p>The cut was not too deep, but those were the ones that burned the most to her, oddly enough. Lilith stared at the knitting skin for a few seconds before turning away. Her mind going over the books Belos had seemed to like when he received her.</p><p>It made less and less sense the more she thought about it.</p><p>Emperor Belos was making less sense to her every day that passed. Getting worked up over things he would’ve called mundane and pointless, he was even getting more and more expressive.</p><p>He was supposed to be a stern leader, not that tyrannical… <em> kid. </em></p><p>“What is happening…?”</p><p>“I would like to know!”</p><p>Lilith jumped at that new voice and moved by instinct… which was a mistake.</p><p>“Argh! Son of a-” Lilith groaned and glared at her reopened wound.</p><p>Klaris was next to her casting a spell circle the very next moment. “Don’t, you, dare, to, move.”</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“Treating a probably stubborn superior who must have thought self-healing was better than going to an actual healer,” she replied, “…just how did you get injured in the first place?”</p><p>Lilith tensed and looked away. There was no way she-</p><p>“So the Emperor did it, huh?”</p><p>“Excuse me?!”</p><p>Klaris sent her a look that made all Lilith’s replies die. “The only person in the isles that could hurt you without getting reported is the Emperor himself, I mean, I’ve read reports of your sister’s verbal abuse so…”</p><p>“You have? But I never archived those!”</p><p>“Gossip is a dangerous thing,” she said, “besides, who else could actually hurt you this bad and not treat you afterward if not him?”</p><p><em> “…She has a point.” </em>Lilith thought, looking down. “I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore…”</p><p>“You are getting hurt, in more than one way I’d say,” Klaris said once she finished closing the wound, and offered her a hand. “A snail for your thoughts?”</p><p>Lilith stared at the hand in front of her. She didn’t have any obligation to take it, nor need to explain her current predicament to a complete stranger!</p><p>…But…</p><p>“It’s complicated…” she sighed, accepting the help.</p><p>Klaris smiled at her. “Hey, as I said before, I have time.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“You gotta be kidding me,” Luz said and leaned on the wall behind her back.</p><p>So, the memory she just decided to jump in was no other than the very first day she went to Hexside.</p><p>She saw the whole moment again, how Willow and she met, how the plant witch had attacked her, and how she had to immobilize Willow to get her to listen to her.</p><p>“That seems to be the only way to get people to talk to me,” she whispered, looking down. “Against their will…”</p><p>She didn’t like it, but it was the astonishing truth so far.</p><p>“Let’s just fix this and get over with it. Kinda glad Amity didn’t get inside here.”</p><p>She walked towards the only thing out of place in the recollection, the seed she had given Willow. She didn’t have it on her, Luz looked around the whole hallway and got a bit frustrated after ten minutes of doing so.</p><p>How hard could be to find a seed?!</p><p>“I’m so tired of this…” she sighed and kicked a trash can.</p><p>And the seed rolled out of it.</p><p>Luz stared at it before turning to the side. “…Why am I surprised?”</p><p>Willow thought she was a weirdo, that she didn’t belong, so it was an obvious outcome that the one thing that could be the symbol of their friendship would be in the trash.</p><p>She bent to take it, but another hand did before hers could reach it.</p><p>“Amity?” She asked, looking up.</p><p>And she gaped.</p><p>“Not quite,” the person replied.</p><p>“W-Willow?”</p><p>The girl—child—in front of her smiled and nodded. “Nice to meet ya, Luz.”</p><p>She gaped, that was Willow, sure and no doubt, but… but she was <em> small </em>.</p><p>“W-Who are you?” she asked.</p><p>“You said it, I’m Willow!” the child replied, “though you can say I’m a ‘little Willow’.”</p><p>“Little Willow?”</p><p>“Yep! Thanks for helping to fix ‘big me’s head.” Little Willow blinked a few times before laughing after saying that. “That sounded weird!”</p><p>Luz snapped out of her stupor and threw a shaky smile. “So, you are the ‘inner Willow’ too?”</p><p>“Oh, nope!” She replied. “Amity is with that Willow, I came here to make you company.”</p><p>“Company? But I should be wi-”</p><p>“They have things to talk about,” little Willow interrupted her. “It’s better if we don’t get in the middle.”</p><p>Luz stared a little more before nodding slowly.</p><p>Little Willow jumped and took her hand, pulling her along. “Great, now, let’s fix the other memories!”</p><p>Luz was positive about the fact that Willow has always been crazy strong when little Willow dragged her around like a rag-doll.</p><p>She moved along multiple memories, some from when Willow first met Gus, when she learned she was going to be on the Abomination track, when Boscha met her…</p><p>Not many fun memories.</p><p>She also saw… livelier ones. Like when she first made magic correctly, when she got to help in the store by arranging flowers, the praise from the plant track teachers, the times Gus and Willow went to the greenhouse before meeting her.</p><p>“Willow looks happy,” Luz commented while seeing the last memory they fixed.</p><p>Little Willow made a humming sound. “Yep, she was really happy to teach Gus. He is really smart, so she was always relying on him with the Abomination track homework.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>Willow and Gus were in the library, the girl was explaining a class Gus clone had decided not to pay attention to. Luz felt weird looking at it, her friends looked so… happy, in their own way, like it was meant to be like that, nothing was out of place, nothing amiss.</p><p>No space there for anyone else… no place for ‘Lucelyn’.</p><p>“What happened?” Little Willow asked and pulled her hand. “You got all gloomy.”</p><p>Luz shook her head and chuckled. “Nothing, nothing… it’s just I realized that I just got in the middle of those two.”</p><p>“What are you talking about? They are your friends, too!”</p><p>“Yeah, for now, that is.”</p><p>“Luz!”</p><p>“What?!” she shouted, and slapped the little hand away from her. “I know that it’s just a matter of time for them to leave!”</p><p>Little Willow stared at her for the first time, and then she frowned. “What is that nonsense?!”</p><p>“The truth!” Luz shouted and looked towards the memory again. “They were perfectly fine without me!”</p><p>“Luz, they weren’t bad, but they like you! They want to be your friends!”</p><p>“But for how long?!” She asked, and got little Willow to back off. “For how long are they going to put up with the ‘weirdo Luz’? Eh? Another month? Maybe two? They’ll get tired of me!”</p><p>“That’s not true! That won’t happen!”</p><p>“But it already did! Willow made pretty clear she hates me in that carnival!”</p><p>“She did not!”</p><p>“Then why did she say I didn’t belong?!”</p><p>The silence that came after that just managed to turn Luz’s rage into sadness, and she looked away.</p><p>“She said it…” she muttered, “that I don’t belong here… that I’m not <em> normal </em>, that I’m a weirdo… they all say that… and then they move away, give excuses…”</p><p>“Luz…”</p><p>“You must hate me, too,” she said and looked at little Willow. “If you are like her, and you are, you hate me just as she does… you grew tired of me…”</p><p>She didn’t get a response immediately, at least not a verbal one. Little Willow closed the distance between them in seconds and held her by the wrists, making her look at her eyes.</p><p>“Luz, I don’t hate you, and neither does the big me.” Little Willow pulled her down, and Luz kneeled. “You know that.”</p><p>“…But you will, everyone always do…” Luz said with a sad smile. “You already snapped once, now it’ll be a regular thing, then you’d start placing excuses to not be with me, and then you’d just avoid me and… and… and you’ll forget me…”</p><p>And she wouldn’t even remember that they were friends… or she would, but what did it matter? Luz time would end, just like always, just like before… little Willow shook her head. “That’s abomination goo and you know it! Luz, we are friends, big me is your <em> best friend </em>, and you are hers!”</p><p>“How can we be so? When she thinks I’m a weirdo?! When I know I’m going to push her away!”</p><p>“You are best friends precisely because big me knows all this!” The little projection said, “Luz, you are best friends, but you are also different people, you can’t be always on good terms.”</p><p>“B-But…”</p><p>“Luz! You are her- my- <em> our </em> best friend!” Little Willow said, hugging her. “Even if you are a bit weird, that’s what makes you, <em> you </em>. Big me wouldn’t change you for anything, nor does she want to!”</p><p>“…It wasn’t what she said…”</p><p>“She was hurt, and jealous, and stupid, you know all that,” Little willow replied with a giggle. “You are her best friend.”</p><p>“But she thinks…”</p><p>“That you are amazing.”</p><p>“And weird…”</p><p>“And creative.”</p><p>“Annoying…”</p><p>“She doesn’t think that.”</p><p>“She says I give her headaches…”</p><p>“Because she worries about you.” Luz didn’t reply to that one. “Out of excuses?”</p><p>“…Yes…” Luz mumbled.</p><p>“Then you know you don’t have to force yourself to be careful around big me… she loves you, you are her best friend…”</p><p>“You just keep repeating that…”</p><p>“Because you need to keep hearing it, am I right?”</p><p>Luz laughed and hugged little Willow back. “Yeah, I do.”</p><p>“Then I’m glad I did say it a lot.”</p><p>“You are a cute little pumpkin, ain’t ya?”</p><p>Little Willow pulled back, smirked, and winked at her. “I get that a lot.”</p><p>Luz looked at the little projection in front of her with a new light in her eyes. Willow’s inner persona, the most subconscious part of her was telling her that she shouldn’t worry, that those words, even when hurtful, were just words, and not statements.</p><p>She could let it go, right?</p><p><em> “…Yes…Yes I can. </em>” Luz smiled at the thought, feeling ow something in her chest became lighter.</p><p>Little Willow giggled before she took her hands. “So you forgive her?”</p><p>“Yeah… it’s not... not like it’s about her…”</p><p>“You have baggage, big me does, too,” Little Willow said with a little smile. “Just, stop thinking you are a problem, all ‘Willows’ care about you deeply, you are the best friend we ever had, hell, you are her sister at this point! So please, can you try?”</p><p>“…I can try,” Luz replied with a bigger smile. “Thou she still owns me an apology snack.”</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Amity was feeling like something just ran over her.</p><p>“Enough?” inner Willow asked.</p><p>Amity wanted to scream ‘yes’ but her throat was blocked.</p><p>She had been watching the moment when she broke her friendship with Willow in a loop, every time the scene was worse, not that it changed or anything, but she was dragged into it even more with every repetition, and inner Willow seemed to find it amusing.</p><p>That was the sole reason why she hadn’t been burned to ashes yet, she supposed.</p><p>“You hurt Willow… me, so bad,” inner Willow said, “you know? I used to be made from all emotions, joy, sadness, love, fear… but since this fire came, all I can feel is <em> anger!” </em></p><p>Amity flinched when a jade-like cinder touched her skin.</p><p>“You let Boscha do what she wanted, you left Willow to suffer, you left me to burned!”</p><p>“I-I tried to stop Boscha!” she finally managed to let out her voice.</p><p>“Yeah?! And why are we here then?!” Inner Willow shouted and a new wave of fire flew towards her.</p><p>Amity didn’t have time to avoid it and felt how the flames bit her arms, but she repressed the scream, looking at the eyes of the projection.</p><p>“Why do you insist on hurting Willow?!” inner Willow <em> screamed, </em> “You already broke her beyond repair once! You took away all she had to give, her happiness, her devotion, her <em> love! </em>Why can’t you just go away?!”</p><p>Amity wanted to run, that was true. But she stood there, holding the gaze of the projection with all the resolution she could gather within herself.</p><p>“Because I care for her.”</p><p>“Hah?!”</p><p>Amity took a deep breath before talking again. “I care for Willow, she needed help, and I wasn’t going to leave her alone again… I-I made that mistake before… but not anymore.”</p><p>“That’s rich!” Inner Willow roared. “Where was this resolution years ago?! Where were you when everything was wrong?!”</p><p>“Willow-”</p><p>“No! Don’t try to ‘Willow’ me!” She walked up to her and <em> strangled </em> her. “You are here just because Willow is now <em> acceptable </em>to your family! Because she is strong! Because she is now suitable for your selected few!”</p><p>“T-That’s… n-not…tru-true….”</p><p>“Then it’s for Luz?! That’s worse!” Inner Willow dropped her and the flames trapped Amity in a circle of fire. “You are trying to use her! Just like you did with Willow! You’ll play with her until she can’t be fixed anymore!”</p><p>Amity glared at those words. “N-No! I-I wouldn’t… do that to Luz!”</p><p>“Just as you wouldn’t do it to Willow?!”</p><p>“That was a mistake!”</p><p>“And how do I know you won’t make a mistake with Luz?!”</p><p>Amity backed off at that, her eyes going to the ground.</p><p>How could she reply to that? When she wasn’t even sure if there was a single chance with Luz?</p><p>“…That’s what I thought,” Inner Willow said, “you can’t get close to her, you can’t risk anything for her… you are the same stupid and self-centered monster you’ve always been…” Inner Willow held her by the face and made her look up to her eyes. “So stay, away, from, Luz.”</p><p>Amity’s eyes went wide at those words.</p><p>She didn’t quite get it, if she was honest. But something inside her snapped at that demand. All the guilt and fear she was feeling simply… banished, and instead, something else came to her, along with a very specific set of images.</p><p>She saw Luz, be it laughing, eating, reading, playing, writing…</p><p>But that was Luz.</p><p>“No,” she said.</p><p>“…What?” inner Willow asked.</p><p>“I said, no!” Amity repeated and slapped the projection’s hand away. “I’m, not, leaving, Luz!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“So… your sister had a kid?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“…And… you didn’t know?”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“And now that you want to meet her… your sister won’t let you?”</p><p>“That about summons it up.”</p><p>Lilith watched Klaris trying to repress what she supposed was a scream. And she was in a position to scream, not everyday people got word of a complicated family relationship involving two of the most influential people in the isles.</p><p>Even if she’d like to erase Edalyn’s effect on the people most of the time.</p><p>“That’s… heavy,” Klaris finally said, “so…?”</p><p>Lilith fidgeted in her place. “So… what?”</p><p>“What are you gonna do? Are you still going to try to take her away?”</p><p>“Wha-? No!”</p><p>“Good, because I couldn’t support you if you said you would,” Klaris said and leaned back in her chair. “Your sister seemed to have had a great change of heart after having a kid.”</p><p>“That’s an understatement…”</p><p>“Which is why I think you should meet the kid.”</p><p>Lilith moved as if she had just hit her and blinked several times. “P-Pardon me?”</p><p>“You heard me, you should go and finally meet your niece!” Klaris said more eagerly that time. “I mean, she must be really something if the ‘Owl Lady’ became a good mom!”</p><p>“I…I suppose, but how am I supposed to do so?” Lilith asked, “My sister doesn’t want me near her…”</p><p>“And why should that be a problem? I mean, my cousin doesn’t want me in my nephew’s life, he says that I’ll mess up the kid or something.” Klaris stood up and moved aside, hitting her knee with the table. “Little son of a-!”</p><p><em> “I think I understand their concern… </em>” Lilith thought while watching her jump on one foot.</p><p>“A-Anyway,” Klaris said once she had managed to stand rightfully again. “You don’t need your sister to want you there, you just need your niece for that.”</p><p>“Lucelyn?”</p><p>“Yeah! I mean, if your sister is a mom as good as you say, she won’t say no to you meeting… Lucelyn was it? If the kid herself asks!”</p><p>Lilith’s eyes opened at that. “In the name of the Titan… That might actually work!” She said, standing up. “Klaris, I could kiss you!”</p><p>Klaris’ face got a bit red and she giggled. “I mean, I’m not going to stop you…”</p><p>Lilith moved fast and got next to the witch, planting a small ‘smooch’ on her cheek before walking towards the archives door.</p><p>“I need to get changed, thanks!”</p><p>Lilith didn’t know if that would work, hell, it was probably a crazy bet, so stupid that Edalyn herself wouldn’t take it.</p><p>But it was a chance to meet her niece… to be with her family.</p><p><em> “There are risks we must be willing to take. </em>” She thought and a small smile appeared on her face. “How would she be…?”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“You think they’ll take a lot longer?” Luz asked.</p><p>“Maybe, maybe not,” little Willow replied. “I mean, they have a lot of things to talk about.”</p><p>“Yeah… I guess.”</p><p>Luz looked at the small forest where she was sitting with little Willow. They had fixed the last memory a while ago already and the remaining one was the photo Willow hadn’t wanted her to see, the one where she was hugging Amity.</p><p>“What date was that?” Luz asked.</p><p>Little Willow looked at the photo and then to the ground. “That was the last birthday party I got invited to.”</p><p>“The last one?”</p><p>“It’s also the day Amity stopped being my friend.”</p><p>“…Oh…” Luz said and placed a hand on little Willow’s head. “I’m sorry-”</p><p>“Don’t worry, if everything goes right, this memory will probably have a new meaning,” she replied, “…or I hope so.”</p><p>“Hey, Amity is a great girl, I’m sure everything will be alright!”</p><p>“…Yeah, I guess you are right,” little Willow said and started to play with the end of her dress. “Amity is great.”</p><p>“Yep!”</p><p>“You know? Amity was so nice and sweet back when we were friends.”</p><p>Luz smiled at the little Willow. “She still is, y’know? I’ve seen it.”</p><p>“I know she is, but my other me, and also ‘big me’… they don’t really want to think of it.”</p><p>“I’ve… noticed,” Luz said, the discussion in the carnival flashed in her mind. “Do you know why they don’t want to?”</p><p>Luz had seen Willow blush, but never like the little version of her did, the beet-red cheeks and shiny color on her ears were beyond adorable.</p><p>“I…I liked Amity,” little Willow said, “more than what a friend would have.”</p><p>“…Oh…” Luz whispered, all downing on her.</p><p>“She was good to me, and nice, and pretty… my dad’s told me that I was too young, but if I grew up and still felt the same… then…”</p><p>“I…I get it.”</p><p>“You do? I don’t, I don’t even know what I would do if I ended liking her like my dad like my other dad.”</p><p><em> “I think that’s normal.” </em>Luz thought while looking ahead, the room where she was left was filled with ashes, but now she could see a bit more color in it. “So… you think bigger you still… you know... likes Amity?”</p><p>Little Willow giggled. “No… no, I don’t think so, she is… really hurt, but she grew past these funny feelings long ago.”</p><p>“Oh… that’s good?”</p><p>“I think it is, since you like her.”</p><p>Luz almost choked. “E-Excuse me?”</p><p>“You don’t?” Little Willow asked with the most innocent face she had ever seen. “You hold hands, and cling to her arm, and also look at her a lot and she kissed-”</p><p>“Stop, stop, stop <em> para por favor!” </em> Luz rushed to say, holding little Willow by the arms. “How do you know all that?!”</p><p>“You are pretty obvious, big me noticed a long time ago, I just know what she does.”</p><p>“That’s… super scary…”</p><p>“Normally I wouldn’t talk to anybody at all,” little Willow said and stood up so her mouth was at Luz ears level, once there, she whispered. “So this is a secret, though, I don’t think other people <em> haven’t </em> seen it yet.”</p><p>Luz stayed there without moving for a while before her mind decided that the little slips—huge slips—in her crush hiding abilities could wait. She stood up and dusted herself, turning to little Willow and smiling at her.</p><p>“Thanks for keeping me company.”</p><p>Little Willow nodded. “Thanks for coming here, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if you didn’t.”</p><p>“You think Amity and the other you patched up things?”</p><p>“I guess, I mean, there is no fire around, is it?”</p><p>“How comes that the lack of fire doesn’t reassure me anymore?” Luz whispered.</p><p>“Luz, you are big me best friend,” little Willow told her, holding her hands. “So, could you do me a favor?”</p><p>“Y-Yeah, what is it?”</p><p>Little Willow smiled and let her hands go, starting to banish. “Try not to give her so many headaches.”</p><p>Before the ‘half-a-witch’ could say anything about that, the younger version of Willow was gone. Luz gaped for a few seconds and groaned, looking around, she was <em> alone, </em>in her best friend head.</p><p>That was even more uncomfortable than being the first one to wake up after a sleepover in a newly made friend’s house!</p><p>“Amity… hurry up, please…” Luz whined, leaning against one tree.</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>“Are you really that fixated on hurting Willow?! In hurting Luz?!” Inner willow shouted.</p><p>She was raging, but Amity didn’t move, she didn’t even flinch the fireball she had just thrown at her passed barely a few inches away from her ear.</p><p>“I’m not looking to hurt either of you,” Amity said, “but I’m not getting apart from Luz, either.”</p><p>Inner Willow wanted to scream, to break everything in that <em> damned </em>place and take Amity to a little ride in a frying machine! But…but…</p><p>But she needed answers.</p><p>“Then just tell me this,” inner Willow whispered, “why won’t you leave Luz alone?”</p><p>She watched Amity’s reaction carefully, the girl blushed, looked at her feet, played with her hands. It was all so… so damn innocent, even cute… but that was Amity, the same girl who abandoned her, the one who allowed her <em> new </em>friend to bullied her, the one who looked the other way whenever she was in pain or begging for help!</p><p>The same girl who broke her heart all those years ago...</p><p>“I like her,” Amity said, “I like her a lot…”</p><p>She wouldn’t take that stupid response anymore. “Luz deserves more than you! Doesn’t matter what you say!”</p><p>“You think I don’t know that?! But what should I do?! I can’t stop these feelings, not anymore!”</p><p>“You know that’s stupid! You’ve done far worse things before, and I can name every single one of them, every word, every look, and every wound you inflicted on me!”</p><p>“Good!”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“I said ‘good’!” Amity took a step closer to her. “Judge me, then, judge me with all that hate and grudge, judge and take every word, every action and every consequence from those, judge me for all the years I’ve been bad, go ahead, but I warn you that once you do, you’ll know!”</p><p>“I’ll know?! What will I know?!”</p><p>Amity’s rage left her face in that second, the change so drastic that made inner Willow step back. Amity looked so… sad, yearning, and… broken.</p><p>Willow never saw Amity like that.</p><p>“You’ll know, Willow… you’ll know I’m not lying when I say I want her,” Amity finished, looking down. “I can’t lie, remember? Not to you, not to Luz… I never could.”</p><p>She gaped at the girl, the rage inside her still burning hot, still so damn suffocating… but there wasn’t that hate towards the Blight anymore. The anger was there, but Willow couldn’t just feed it as she had always done before, her mind was rushing past the horrible things Amity had done.</p><p>She mocked her, but never insulted her.</p><p>She let Boscha do what she wanted, but always stopped her before things got too far when she was there.</p><p>She pranked her, but always made sure nobody else could be there, except for Boscha.</p><p>She ignored her, and never once helped her…</p><p>
  <b> <em>“Sever your ties with Willow, or we will!”</em> </b>
</p><p>Inner Willow tensed up and looked around, the door to the outside of Amity’s room swung open, and there, Willow saw a scene she hadn’t expected in her life to see.</p><p>Amity crying, not the teal haired bitch she had hated, but the brunette that had been her best friend and the one who Willow had childishly crushed on.</p><p> “But she is my best friend! I don’t want to!” little Amity shouted, stomping. “I don’t want to hurt her!”</p><p>And the shadow of Amity’s mom moved. “Don’t be so silly, you are Blight, dear, you can only relate with a selected few.”</p><p>“Why can’t Willow be part of those, then?! Who decides the ‘selected few’?!”</p><p>“We do, we are the ones who know best.”</p><p>“How would you know best if you never talked to Willow?!”</p><p>“Amity-”</p><p>“No! You just want me to hang out with those mean girls because their parents work with you! I don’t like them, I like Willow!”</p><p>“That’s enough!” Mrs. Blight shouted, and Amity backed off, there was a sore spot on her cheek. “You don’t talk like that to us!”</p><p>“Or what?! You are already making me chose a track on Hexside, taking away my best friend! You didn’t even let me choose my birthday party theme! What else are you taking from me?!”</p><p>Her heart fell at those words, and she looked at Amity, the actual one. She was not crying, but she might as well have. Her right hand was holding her left cheek and the left one gripping her vest so hard that it could’ve been torn apart with a movement.</p><p>“Amity, I’ll say this just one last time,” that was Amity’s dad, “sever your ties with Willow, or <em> we </em> will.”</p><p>Both, little Amity and inner Willow reacted at that. “Uh?”</p><p>“We will make sure she never gets into Hexside,” Mrs. Blight said, “and also that her parent’s little store never works again, it’s only one call.”</p><p>“Dear, we never talked about that…” Mr. Blight whispered.</p><p>“We’ll do what we see necessary, right, my love?” Mrs. Blight replied.</p><p>“Y-You can’t do that!” Little Amity shouted while giving a step towards the shadows of her parents. “Willow doesn’t deserve that, nor her parents!”</p><p>“Oh, but we won’t do it,” Mrs. Blight said and a shadowy hand, pulled little Amity’s chin, forcing her to look up. “You will, if you don’t cut all your connections with the girl. So, what will it be?”</p><p>Little Amity stayed silent but the tears roamed free down her cheeks, and that image alone made so much noise in Willow’s heart that inner Willow had to close her eyes and bite her lip just to bear with it.</p><p>“You were never too weak to be my friend, Willow,” she heard a small whisper followed by a sob. “I was the one too weak to be yours…”</p><p>Inner Willow opened her eyes and looked at Amity, the girl was crying in silence, her hands, both of them, gripping her vest while her entire body was shaking.</p><p>“You did that… for me?” she said, and Amity nodded slowly. “You… protected me? Why?”</p><p>Amity looked up, and her amber eyes were shining with the tears. “Luz once made me say it…”</p><p>“…Say what?”</p><p>“…That I know, <em> exactly </em> what you are worth…”</p><p>Could you get your heart to be broken by the same person twice?</p><p>Willow just did, but for different reasons.</p><p>Inner Willow then looked at all the memories again, all the time Amity had bullied Willow, attacked her, or just ignored her… and she started to notice those little details she would have never seen before.</p><p>Like how every mean word was followed by a second of regret in her expression, or how every time Boscha did or said something to her Amity tensed up and had to close her fists.</p><p>How every insult made her cringed.</p><p>How every prank tensed her up.</p><p>How every attack made her look away.</p><p>How every failing grade made her sad for a second.</p><p>“You’ve been… looking after me…” inner Willow whispered with growing pressure in her throat. “All this time… after all these years… you only looked after me…”</p><p>Amity chuckled between sobs. “That’s what best friends are meant to do…”</p><p>Willow couldn’t take it anymore after <em> that </em>, and inner Willow reacted to it.</p><p>She hugged Amity with all the emotions she had held for the Blight those years before, she cherished the good memories, and felt hurt by the bad ones, but every single one of those, every bit of her life that had Amity in it was filling that contact, the other’s girl arms were around her, gripping her dress with so much strength.</p><p>And they were crying their hearts out.</p><p>“I’m sorry!” Amity said between sobs, “I…I’m so sorry, Willow... I didn’t know what to do!”</p><p>Inner Willow didn’t say anything, her own cries holding her voice back. She had loved that girl, she had hated her, yearn for her, resent her, admired her and…and…</p><p>Missed her so much…</p><p>“I’m sorry…” Amity sobbed again.</p><p>She took a deep breath and nodded. “I…I know now…”</p><p>“I’m sorry…”</p><p>“I know…”</p><p>“I’m sorry…”</p><p>“I know…”</p><p>“Willow…”</p><p>“Not precisely me, but, yeah?”</p><p>Amity pulled apart from her and looked into her eyes. “You are the best friend I’ve ever had, and I can’t change the past, but I’m done with my parent’s threats.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“I’m not letting Boscha and her gang bully you ever again, and I’m no hiding who you are for me anymore.”</p><p>Inner Willow smiled, letting the girl go. “And who am I?”</p><p>Amity blinked at her, and she groaned a little.</p><p>“Come on… you just had me crying in your arms, are you going to make me say it?”</p><p>“You better bet I do, Blight.”</p><p>“Oh, Titan.” Amity groaned again. “…You are my best friend…”</p><p>“And…?”</p><p>“…My partner in crime?”</p><p>“Close, but I know that’s Luz now,” inner Willow said, smiling at her.</p><p>“…Yeah, I guess…”</p><p>“Amity,” inner Willow held the other girl’s hands. “I…I can’t say Willow forgives you, not after all that happened.”</p><p>“I…I understand…”</p><p>“..But…But I know that forgiveness doesn’t mean trust, and that trust doesn’t mean forgiveness…” she said, “so… I-I trust you, Amity.”</p><p>“Y-You do? With… With what?”</p><p>“With Luz.”</p><p>Willow smiled and looked at the other girl’s eyes, moving her hand to hold her shoulder, Amity stared at her.</p><p>“I know you’ll do anything to protect her… but please, Luz is strong, stronger than what we could ever think… please, please don’t do the thing you did with me without explaining it to her… if possible never do something like this, again. I can’t have my childhood friend being a bitch.”</p><p>Amity chuckled and giggled. “Am…Am I you friend?”</p><p>“Not yet… but…but it’s a start,” she said, “now, we should probably look for Luz, don’t want her finding out how hard I crushed on you.”</p><p>“You what?!”</p><p>“Oh, come on! It was obvious!”</p><p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p><p>Lilith was feeling… weird, standing at a few feet of the ‘Owl House’—as her sister had come to call the little shack on the outskirts—armed just with a basket of gifts and an apology.</p><p>Getting the stupid outpost that held a watch over the house to go had been horrible, but she managed to pull enough position over it to take it away… she just hoped Kikimora and the Emperor wouldn’t hear…</p><p>And <em> Titan </em>, just a few months ago she would’ve charged to the house with an army!</p><p><em> “This is a stupid idea…” </em> She thought, looking down.</p><p>Her eyes moved to her shadow and she made a revelation spell just in case. The last time she closed the distance with that place, Belos had taken advantage of her desperation and managed to inflict unspeakable damage on her family.</p><p>She wasn’t making that mistake a second time.</p><p>So she checked, twice, her shadow, and after making sure she was clean, she took a step.</p><p>“Visits! Hoot-Hoot!”</p><p>Had she ever said how much she hated the stupid house demon?</p><p>Well, she <em> despised </em>it!</p><p>Lilith was pulled from the ground and dragged to the very front of the house, there, the demon opened his mouth, probably about to start a rant of something pointless.</p><p>And the door opened, a pair of red-ish oak color receiving her.</p><p>“…Miss. Lilith?”</p><p>She had effectively lost her breath at that moment. “H…H-Hi…”</p><p>“Lily? What are you doing here?” Edalyn came after almost immediately and pulled Lucelyn back inside, closing the door behind her. “And what are you carrying?”</p><p>Lilith was able to think again, thankfully.</p><p>She cleared her throat and looked down. “It’s an apology.”</p><p>“An apology, for what?”</p><p>“Please Edalyn, you know for <em> what,” </em>she said, looking up at her sister.</p><p>“…Oh, for that, then.”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“You didn’t have to, y’know?” Edalyn said, making the house demon released her. “Doesn’t mean I’m not taking it.”</p><p>“As if we’d have it any other way,” Lilith replied, “… I… I see Lucelyn is fine…”</p><p>Her sister’s smile became soft, <em> soft! </em> Before she answered. “She is doing better… a bit, I think.”</p><p>“I see…”</p><p>“You keep doing that,” Edalyn said with a snort.</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>“You repeat yourself when you are nervous, how come you never noticed?”</p><p>“I don’t do that!”</p><p>“You sure do!”</p><p>“Do not!”</p><p>“Do too!”</p><p>“Do not!”</p><p>“Do too!”</p><p>“Um… Ladies?”</p><p>Lilith stopped glaring at her sister and turned her head to look at the window, Lucelyn was looking through it with a smile on her face, and… was that…was that Amity?</p><p>“I know you are having a ‘moment’ but we were about to serve tea and the teapot almost bit Gus’s hand off,” Lucelyn said, “so…”</p><p>“I’ll be inside in a minute, Kiddo,” Edalyn replied while making a spell to send the basket floating inside. “Just let me send Lily-”</p><p>“Why doesn’t she join us?”</p><p>Lilith was sure her sister had the same surprised expression as—Lilith guessed—she did, and she was also sure they were both staring at the teen.</p><p>“Kiddo, what?” Edalyn asked walking towards her child. “She is with the emperor’s coven! Last time she came here you-!”</p><p>“She is not with them now, is she?” Lucelyn replied and jumped outside the house. “I mean, there are no troops, Hooty would’ve already traumatized ‘em, ‘sides, she is not even wearing her uniform.”</p><p>Lilith blushed a little and looked down. Her dress was a paler shade of blue, but it was still pretty dark, the only difference besides that was the fact that, like her sister’s, it reached just a few inches under her knees, she had also dropped her heels to use simple boots.</p><p>That time she had needed to actually <em> walk </em>to her sister’s shack.</p><p>Edalyn looked at her, and she seemed to just notice what her daughter said. “But-”</p><p>“Mom, she is my aunt,” Lucelyn interrupted again, holding her mother’s hands. “I know you are worried, but I should at least know her a bit, don’t you think? So in the holidays, I could expect a present?”</p><p>Lilith had resisted the temptation of giving to panic for years, being a leader and being part of the greatest—that was <em> debatable </em>now—coven made that to a person.</p><p>And yet, the few seconds her sister stayed silent made her feel so helpless that it was laughable.</p><p>“…Argh, fine! But only for the gifts!” Edalyn finally said and snapped her fingers, the stupid house demon moved to open the door. “And if she tries anything funny, I’m throwing her out!”</p><p>“Got it, mom!” Lucelyn said hugging her and then she walked up to Lilith, smiling at her. “Hello, I’m your niece, Lucelyn! I think we never had a proper introduction?”</p><p>Lilith stared at the kid in front of her with awe and wonder, so that was her niece? So she was the kid that had managed to change Edalyn into a good person <em> and </em> a good <em> mother? </em></p><p>“I…I’m afraid not,” she managed to say and felt how her face softened. “I’m your aunt, Lilith…”</p><p>“Yeah, Eda talks about you a lot.” Lucelyn scratched her cheek and turned to the door. “Amity does, too, but neither of them says much good.”</p><p>“Oh… I suppose that’s… understandable,” she conceded, “I haven’t been precisely… good, with them.”</p><p>“Hey, I get it, nobody is perfect.” Lucelyn took her hand and pulled her towards the house. “You just need to learn from your mistakes and be better! Come on in, I want to hear stories about Eda’s baby years, she won’t ever talk about it!”</p><p>Lilith smirked. “Oh? She won’t?”</p><p>“Lily, don’t you dare!” Edalyn shouted, entering the house behind them.</p><p>“I could tell about that time she had this crush on that actress…” Lilith commented and looked back at her sister.</p><p>Edalyn was practically <em> steaming! </em></p><p>“Eda’s crush?! I wanna hear all about it!” Lucelyn said, basically jumping.</p><p>“That would be interesting,” another voice said.</p><p>Lilith turned around again and finally took in that amount of people inside the house.</p><p>There were three teens beside her niece, she recognized Amity, and the other two from Covention, she also saw her sister’s pet demon trying to take a biscuit from a plate.</p><p>“Let me introduce you!” Lucelyn said, running towards the other teens and hugging the boy and glasses girl. “These two buddies are Willow and Gus, guys, she is my aunt, Lilith!”</p><p>“Pleasure to meet you,” the girl—Willow—said.</p><p>The boy reacted a bit… differently. “Oh, my, Titan… I can interview her for my project! It’s an honor to meet you! How is to be head of the emperor’s coven?!”</p><p>“Hey, dweebus, if it’s not me, you are not to interview any Clawthorne, ya hear me?!” Edalyn shouted.</p><p>Lucelyn laughed and stood up, walking towards Amity and taking her hand, forcing her to stand up and walk up to her.</p><p>“You two already know each other, but I’ll say it anyway,” she said, smiling at her. “Aunt, this is Amity, Amity, this is my aunt.”</p><p>“I know, Luz,” Amity replied with a small smile. “You literally said we know each other.”</p><p>“But not with me as a link!”</p><p>“As if that’s important.”</p><p>“It is!”</p><p>Lilith stared at them, their discussion was so… silly, but at the same time relaxing. It didn’t escape her eyes the slight blush in both teen’s cheeks and how even while teasing each other their hands remained linked.</p><p>“They are just like that,” Edalyn said next to her, “don’t try to understand ‘em.”</p><p>Lilith nodded before giggling a little, she turned to her sister. “Do you need any help with the tea?”</p><p>“…I could use some assistance,” Edalyn accepted, “King always makes a disaster.”</p><p>“Just like you used to?”</p><p>“Worse.”</p><p>“I can hardly believe that.”</p><p>“You better do, is worse than that time I tried to make tea with rosemary.”</p><p>“So he painted the hose house red?”</p><p>“Almost…”</p><p>“What are you two talking about?” Lucelyn asked, turning at them. “Oh my…! Childhood stories?! I wanna hear, I wanna hear!”</p><p>“I can tell you as many as you want,” she said, walking to the teapot.</p><p>Edalyn didn’t like that response. “I’m throwing you out if you open your mouth, Lily!”</p><p>“I’ll let her back in!” Lucelyn replied, “Tell us!”</p><p>Lilith laughed and took the teapot.</p><p>“Where should I start?”</p><p>.</p><p>..</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There you have it, folks!!!!! I really, really, really wanted to post this one because I needed to make the Willow thing and Amity, too!!!!!</p><p>I mean the show made it so good, not gonna lie, but I lacked the impact and the 'Sorry' in it... so I added them~<br/>One of you said Willow was jealous, and you were right! But you didn't expect that one? Did ya? I mean, some may have, but I like to think my foreshadowing wasn't that evident, so I'll be happy with my delusions.<br/>As always, feel free to comment and share where I was wrong in the English area or the storytelling so my future works can be entertaining and better for ya!!</p><p>Not much else to say, except, did you feel Boscha change? I mean, this breakdown.</p><p>Welp, that would be all, next week will have a new chapter and I promise, it's going to be... a chapter.</p><p>G_U out, peace~~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Of Flower, And Magic, And Other Love Affairs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grom is almost here, the people are moving around and things are heating up.<br/>While some are preparing to party, others are preparing to move on, what awaits Luz, Amity, Willow, Eda, and the rest of the crew now that one of the most important nights of the year is at their doorstep?<br/>And how will Gus host that wonderful night?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New chapter!<br/>This is not on the cannon, so yep, completely original stuff here! I know, I know, this isn't from, but I'll honest, I needed this!<br/>Now, quick stuff, I didn't have much time or energy this week, so the art at the end is barely a sketch, I had another plan, but plans don't survive the encounter with trouble.<br/>I don't have much to say at the beginning... but at the end, I'll rant my ppl!<br/>So... let's just get to it!<br/>Playlist: Make it Shine - Victorious (Soundtrack)/ Don't be a fool - Shawn Mendes / Passion and Pain taste the same when I'm weak - Tove Lo / Something Better - Minke<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House, their characters or setting do not belong to me but to Dana Terrance and Disney, this story is made with the sole purpose of entertain the readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“A common trait between the heart, the soul, and the mind</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Is that for love, all of them are blind”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what happened next?!” Klaris asked, placing her cup of coffee on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled doing the same and leaning closer. “It turns out, my sister still hates to be touched behind the ears, so Lucelyn made sure to test it </span>
  <em>
    <span>thorough </span>
  </em>
  <span>practical confirmation</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris broke into a fit of laughter and Lilith herself giggled a little, taking her cup again and looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were in a small café on the outskirts of Bonesborough. None of the people had actually recognized her so far and that made Lilith consider just how capable were the other woman’s illusions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are getting gloomy again,” Klaris said, leaning in. “Nobody is going to know it’s you, I can guarantee that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you be so sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was the top class student back in St. Epiderm for four years in the illusions track,” she boasted, “I’d like to study with you, but Hexside was just so far away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I get how I didn’t find someone as outstanding as you in my year,” Lilith commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was a compliment?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A nice way of calling you weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meh, I’ll take both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you will,” Lilith said before haring the bell in the distance. “And that’s our cue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris nodded with a tired smile before finishing her cup and standing up. “I wish we had more time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor’s coven is always busy,” Lilith said, leaving the money on the table and walking away. “We don’t get that much free time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could change that,” the woman commented reaching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only if the Emperor approved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? I thought you had more authority.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Used to, but as a matter of recent events, I’m more of an errand girl than anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that something you should share with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As if you had someone to gossip about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got me there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith laughed and stepped inside a hallway, once there, Klaris made a spell circle and a wave of dust-like light covered her for a moment before dissolving into nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now everyone is going to recognize you, so you better go flying,” Klaris said, “will I see you in the archives today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so, but anything can happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She mounted her staff and flew away, leaving the brunette behind. Lilith looked towards the castle and sighed. Less than half a month ago she would’ve been thrilled of getting to work, but now? She was just waiting for the time to get out of her duties and go to see Lucelyn and her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Life does surprise you…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lilith thought and made her staff go faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to move a bit more to the left,” Skara said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus looked at her like she had grown a third head. “Left? I’m basically off the stage if I do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The risk is going to be worth it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara laughed hard at Gus and saw the boy pouting before he jumped down the makeshift stage they had managed to make in a separated street behind Eda’s stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman was a lot more permissive than she had expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus had asked for her help to prepare his act, apparently, he had been in a bit of a tight spot with a project lately and ended up neglecting the Grom presentation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, with barely a week for the event to take place, Gus was feeling the pressure of not being prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to chill, buddy,” Skara said and walked up at him, throwing a water bottle at him, thankfully, he caught it. “You are going to be great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be ‘great’ I need to be perfect!” Gus replied and opened the bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sound like Amity,” Skara replied and chuckled when Gus choked on the water. “Come on, it’s not like it’s an insult.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve seen her with Luz,” Gus pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is a disaster, yeah, but that doesn’t make it an insult,” she replied and sat next to where he was standing, “I think it’s sweet how she can be so close with the person she likes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the thing with Willow is not working out?” Gus asked and Skara tensed. “Come on, it’s not like you hide it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara blushed and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting closer to Willow was proving to be… difficult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was sure it was going to be like that when she decided that bullying the—probably, maybe, </span>
  <em>
    <span>surely</span>
  </em>
  <span>—kindest and more forgiving witch in the entire ‘Boiling Isles’. But, well, knowing and doing were to completely separate things at the end of the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been ghosting Boscha, something that wasn’t difficult, the redhead had been absent, worrying the teachers since the Grugby season was close and any weakness could prove mortal for the girl and the team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, nobody had actually seen Boscha, not since Willow and Amity had apparently started to fix their issues.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problems they had weren’t gone, but they seemed to be working into fixing them, step by step, and that had inspired Skara to do the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But with Boscha absent, the ‘getting back because of the bullying’ was off the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she stuck with little waves and smiles, trying to talk to the plant track witch whenever she could—that wasn’t weird, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>happy that she didn’t engage in a conversation when both of them had gone to the restroom—and making sure that Willow knew she regretted all the years she was a horrible person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apologizing was becoming a sort of second nature at that point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Willow was softer around her, and she had even held her hand two times—it did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>matter that Skara was tripping one of those, she would count it and you’d have to fight her for her to not do so—those four days!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, she wasn’t doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> but she wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>hopeless </span>
  </em>
  <span>either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m progressing, but…” she replied, leaving the explications in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus hummed and sat next to her. “Well, if it helps, Willow is talking a bit more about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She has?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it may have to do with the fact that you are always posting on penstagram and she sees a lot of your publications,” Gus pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shouldn’t feel that defeated, it was a good thing that she wasn’t talking about her like a senseless monster that only stood by and watched people suffer-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was that, yeah, right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you get it,” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara looked at him and tilted her head. “Get what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow follows your Penstagram account.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are right!” She said and stood up and started to spin, “That’s amazing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus laughed. “You’re so simple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Skara replied and stuck her tongue at him, “but this ‘simple’ girl is getting somewhere!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of which,” Gus said and looked at his alarm. “Weren’t you supposed to meet Amity in the market at two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara stopped her movements, nodding slowly. “Yeah, why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s two minus five.” Gus then showed her his alarm demon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cold shiver ran down her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody made Amity Blight—except maybe Luz, now that she thought about it—and lived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotta go!” she said and turned around, making a spell circle and getting her purse to follow her while she ran away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck!” Gus shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Skara ran like a Slitherbeast was chasing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please don’t be mad, please don’t be mat!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, moving as fast as her legs would allow her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had accepted to help her get a gift for Willow, she couldn’t be late for that!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think she’ll like them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know Skara…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Skara,” Amity cut her, “I don’t know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity had to give it up, choosing gifts was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmare</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Grom getting closer and closer, Skara had finally exposed her little plan of inviting Willow before anyone else would—Amity knew she could laugh at the irrational fear before, but Willow was getting fairly popular, so it wasn’t out of the picture—and before Chadly tried to invite Skara.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which lead to their actual predicament, with Amity tailing the other witch, after Skara had reached her a minute late, sweating and breathing in short, desperate breaths after having run an—apparently—large distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you even trying to give her flowers? Willow lives surrounded by those,” Amity commented, “and you couldn’t keep a zombie cactus alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t remind me!” Skara squealed. “I know I’m not precisely a green thumb person…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More of a covered in poison thumb, one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Thanks for that insight,” Skara said and Amity shrugged. “Come on! You two have been getting along lately, give me some advice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow and I are reconnecting after years, not getting information out of each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what reconnecting means, Amity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but not to tell you how to win her over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make her happy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara groaned and went back to the bouquets section, Amity chuckled and looked around the flower’s shop she had been pulled in that day. Those moments had gone exponentially up since the whole deal with Willow’s memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was something else, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha hadn’t been around as a matter of lately. All of them had found it extremely weird when the girl was reported sick and didn’t go to class for over four days already.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not feeling bad for her,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought while shaking her head and summoning her scroll. “She doesn’t deserve pity…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrolled through her new Penstagram account, Skara had proposed the idea, and Amity had to give it to her, she was happier with the new one. Since all the people around her were, at some degree, conscious of her situation with her mother—just know who Mrs. Blight was, gave hints, thank you very much—they weren’t at all surprised with her little stunt of making another account her mother was blocked from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because, having your mom </span>
  <em>
    <span>controlling</span>
  </em>
  <span> your social media? Yeah, everyone was happy to not tag her old account in her pictures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed a little at the most recent photo she had posted. Luz and she were outside a smoothies’ shop when the dingus </span>
  <em>
    <span>had to </span>
  </em>
  <span>go and ask for the most daring drink on the menu, ending up with a cup that was almost as big as her torso.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were photos Amity liked to share.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are grinning,” Skara said and Amity looked up, the girl had finally settled down for a small bouquet with dwarf moon-flowers, orange Williams and spring yellow crocus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did Luz do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not every time I grin is because of Luz,” Amity scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it generally is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we really having this discussion?” Skara asked as both of them walked towards the register.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was about to answer her when she crashed into someone who just managed to stay on their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Argh, watch it, nitwit!” Amity said and looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect to find Jerbo looking down at her with a pot in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity? I’m so sorry, but, you were kinda the one who crashed with me,” he said with a small smile. “I was just standing here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” Skara decided to intervene. “It’s just a quirk of hers at this point, what are you doing here, Jerbo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy moved and offered Amity a hand, the teal haired witch accepted and stood up, looking at the pot he was carrying just a second ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are growing camellias?” she asked and Jerbo blushed a little. “I thought those weren’t on the season.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They…They aren’t…” Jerbo said and left out a little laugh. “I’m using magic since I want to give them to someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh! Is it for Grom?!” Skara asked and the boy’s blush just went to a darker shade of red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity grinned. “So it is for that, who are you inviting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And don’t try to avoid the question! We already know practically everything!” Skara rushed to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…It’s…It’s hard for me to talk about it with you…” Jerbo said looking down at his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, come one, it’s not like you are inviting us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo looked up at amity and then said the words se never, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever, </span>
  </em>
  <span>in a million years expected to hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to ask your brother out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?!” Amity shouted, “Edric?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Titan, he is going to say no, right? He probably already has a date! What was I thinking?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, wow, stop it right there!” Skara said and held him the shoulders. “Amity didn’t say anything like that, right Amity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Edric doesn’t have a date, hell, he doesn’t even think he’ll get invited by anyone,” Amity said while moving her hands around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo stared at her. “How in hell, would he </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a date?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d be surprised,” she said immediately with all her emotions gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… he doesn’t have a date?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, don’t worry about that,” Amity smiled at him before looking back at the flowers. “Why camellias, thou? Are you mixing them with other flowers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also wanted to ask, you are in the plant track, right?” Skara asked, “Why don’t go for other flowers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo looked at them before letting out a sigh and taking the pot in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not precisely… popular, so I don’t really go much for standing out,” he explained, “the camellias are a simple flower, but their meaning is deep and… well, pretty much what I feel for Edric.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…OK, don’t take this the wrong way, but hearing you talking like that about my brother is giving me the creeps,” Amity said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara nudged her hard on the side. “Rude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just that Edric can be such a pain, and it’s really hard for me to accept that someone as talented as Jerbo wants </span>
  <em>
    <span>him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>when I’m sure two of my classmates are already Jerbo’s fan club!” Amity said before turning to Jerbo. “Are you really sure you want to get on that rollercoaster?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you the one to ask when you are basically going out with Luz?” he asked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked several times. “Got me there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha was sick, but not commonly sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just a monster being conscious about being one, yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of drama. Her mom was just about right with taking care of her. Leaving her alone in her room to rot in her self-pity and hate, yes, good parenting there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pathetic…” she whispered and looked at her mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How came she was there, in the dark, looking at her trophies and didn’t feel the rush of adrenaline she used to feel?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dr. Sanders’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>mantra</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t work anymore,” she said and stood up, taking her cloak and putting it on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had used all her self-pity time; it was the moment to take action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha exited her house with her eyes fixated on the road and didn’t care to answer any call she might have gotten. Grugby season was about to begin almost right after Grom, so people were getting crazy around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would usually go into full ‘kiss-the-ground-I-step-on’ mode, but at that moment? She just hated it with all her might.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There she goes, the captain of the Banshees, next season she is going to give us the trophy once more,” she heard an elderly woman say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is the best there is, indeed,” another one added.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just shut up! Those are lies!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Boscha thought and took a turn inside an alley.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited for a second, just enough to make sure nobody could see her, and then she ran, moving by the shadows of the buildings until she reached a small street with a floor made of black stones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She always liked the place, somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the faces of the buildings were the backsides, the backdoor always closed and no windows faced that street, it gave her a sense of… intimacy, somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha?” she heard and turned to the left, a brunette woman who was charging with a bag full of bread smiled while walking up to her. “What are you doing here, little lady? We don’t have a session until the beginning of the Grugby season- Wow, are you OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha held her left arm and looked down. “…Not really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… well, come with me then,” she said placing a hand in her shoulder. “I think we need a little time to get into this, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha nodded and allowed the woman to pull her along the road. They entered a small house in the middle of the great buildings, Boscha had founded curious how the woman had her place in such a remote place, she meant, who would like to live without any kind of neighbors?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on in, go to the living room and take a seat wherever you want, I’ll be there in a minute.” The Dr. said and Boscha moved slowly, looking at the walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would never grow tired of those, if she was honest, the paintings of beaches and some weird places she had never seen, she also saw pictures of the Dr. with other people and some of her alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, the diplomas and school stuff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat on the big couch that waited on the side of the living room and waited, not long after the Dr. walked at her and left a cup with tea in front of her, sitting on the smaller couch in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Dr. Sanders said, “a snail for your thoughts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is acting weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King hummed. “As usual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, she is acting weirder than that,” Eda clarified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked out the window where her kid was glaring at a piece of paper on the ground while she pointed a finger at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t get it,” Eda said and leaned on her elbow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s there to get, the kid is finally getting a bit of you rubbing onto her,” King replied and took a bite of his scone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz should stop baking those things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never tried something as pointless as that,” Eda said and took one of the scones, eating it in a single motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>See? Luz really needed to stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know if it’s pointless yet,” Kind replied and ate the whole tray of scones before standing up and walking towards the door, “you should probably just ask her what she is trying to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda groaned at his words before looking him go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could do that, but somehow it didn’t feel like it was her call, the whole mother thing had been something had just winged most of the time, and the same instinct that had guided her so far told her that whatever Luz was doing, it was better left on her own accord.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to get busy…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left the kitchen and went straight for her room, there she sat on the small desk she had and took out her books on wild magic, studying the last pages a few times before giving up on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was such a mystery; no book would give her more information about her or her magic, nor how Belos had messed with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because that seal was still there, it was a pressuring matter and the only thing Eda could connect to it was the absence of Luz’s amazingly high magic power.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m stuck…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eda thought and sighed while closing the book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just so… tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stunt in the knee, the attack on Hexside, the close call on the carnival, Belos was playing his big cards, who knew how long it would take for him to go himself again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Why hasn’t he?” Eda asked at nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was far too powerful, but Eda knew she could handle him in her prime—OK, not ‘know’ but she could find a way!—and yet…yet. His last appearance ended up rather… abruptly. There was something weird going on with the man, something that she couldn’t put her finger on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never left the castle before, he was always a mysterious figure with no public appearance, he was always a distant dictator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So what could get someone like that out of his comfort zone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need air…” she said and moved to her balcony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t mean to drop the pot to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cursed and knelled to gather the remains of it, the lack of magic was far too great for her to just go dropping her power on mundane things any longer. She took all the pieces of the ceramic and stared at the dirt and the valerian plant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she have that again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?!” That was Luz’s voice. “You ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Kiddo,” she replied and looked back; Luz was standing in the doorway. “Just dropped a pot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, OK, need help with the cleaning?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really, but an extra pair of hands is always welcome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled and walked to be next to her before she bent down, starting to take the dirt with her hands. Eda smiled and place the pieces aside and looked at the valerian again, something moved inside her and she sighed, taking the flower with extreme care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, this plant doesn’t have a glyph,” Luz commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped moving and looked at her. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have a glyph,” Luz repeated, “I’ve been studying plants for my class and I found glyphs on all of them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, new glyphs?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s cheerful attitude died a bit. “Em, no. It’s the same plant glyph I always had, but! Every plant from the island has it, well, there are some exceptions, like the killer threes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded and looked at the flowers. “How comes you didn’t find about that before? Wouldn’t you look at the glyphs by instinct or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was the one who stopped then, her eyes fixated on her. “Y-You are right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, Kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, when I first got my glyphs… I just felt them,” Luz said, “but now I…I can’t feel them…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Eda to connect the dots. She looked at Luz’s arm and the pieces finally got together in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so stupid!” She groaned and threw her head back. “It was obvious!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…So we agree?” Luz asked, “In that what Belos did to me was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sealing the connection you used to have with isles? Pretty much,” Eda sighed and lowered her head to look at Luz. “That would explain what happened to your powers… and why you are still able to do magic with your cards the way Amity helped you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and looked to the plants. “You think it’s...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yi-yi already told us it’ll wear off,” Eda interrupted her, “so, now that we know what it’s all about we just… just wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t like they had other options.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed in silence for a long time, just… looking at the valerian on the ground. At some point, Luz continued with her part and Eda did the same, the theme of the seal hanging heavily between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I thought Owlbert brought you the tea leaves,” Luz commented after a while, “not that you grew the plant here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, he does, but the Valerian is different.” Eda shrugged. “It was a gift, so I keep it here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, a gift from who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From-” Eda stopped and stared ahead. “I… I actually don’t remember.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… well, it must be quite a while ago, I’ve had this plant for far too long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her for a few seconds. “Maybe an old boyfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, those guys never gave me flowers,” Eda said and stood up, going to one of the empty pots. “It was probably from Lily anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are warming up to her, aren’t ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja, as if!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not ‘warming up’, kiddo,” Eda said and planted the flowers, “but she is my sister, can’t be mad forever, can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Many people would say you could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those people are idiots.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s something we can agree on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed and Luz joined seconds later. “What are you doing here anyway? Weren’t you doing something in the backyard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was, but I thought we could go shopping, maybe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shopping?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and started to play with her hands. “Yeah, the thing is… Grom is coming and I was thinking I…I-I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, kid? Don’t stutter at me, you just tell me what you need and we’ll see what we can do.” Eda encouraged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Well… Could I get some money to find a dress, or a suit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked a few seconds… and then broke into a fit of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared and pouted. “Forget it, I knew it was stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, Kid, kid, Luz,” Eda stopped her, holding her by the shoulder. “I’m not laughing at your question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it was just the way you asked,” she said, “Kid, if you want some nice clothes, you can just ask for them, you know? You don’t need to get all this worked up about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you just bought me some clothes,” Luz replied, “I thought you’d say no…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I? I’m a scammer, sure, but I’m not a hoarder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled. “I think we have mountains of trash refuting that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First off, those are human treasures, and second, it’s our valuable merchandise!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, sure…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, missy, is better for us to go find your clothes before I change my mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, mom!” Luz said and turned around. “Love ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda took her staff and replied immediately. “Love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them looked at where the noise had come from and found King and Hooty staring. Eda shared a look with Luz before looking back at the demons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to you two, idiots?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King was the one who replied. “You just…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Just…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told ‘I love you too’, to Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked at that and looked at the teen who was apparently as surprised as her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she saw Luz blushing, and everything downed on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What. Have. She. Done?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My Titan!” King shouted and started laughing. “You didn’t even notice! My oh my! Just wait for the others to hear about this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda loves Luz, Eda Loves Luz…” Hooty began singing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda herself wanted to disappear on a hole and blast those into oblivion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had never said she loved </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> after she got her curse! Not even Lilith! She was Edalyn Clawthorne, the most badass, accomplished, powerful, and the greatest witch who had ever lived! She wasn’t a sappy stupid woman! She was not a cheesy mom!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now hear me you two!” Eda </span>
  <em>
    <span>growled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And she stopped herself, a hand was holding her dress, she looked back and found a pretty… dreamy, maybe a bit drowsy Luz looking at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I’d love to see how this turns out,” the teen said, “can we go before the stores close and the good stuff is taken away?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span> you don’t want to disappoint your </span>
  <em>
    <span>beloved </span>
  </em>
  <span>child!” King practically sang before breaking into laughs again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was about to blast him into oblivion when Luz pulled again. She stared at the kid and took a deep breath before deciding to settle for a small blast of fire on King’s tail and a bigger one on Hooty’s mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not a sappy mom,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, mounting her staff and getting Luz behind her, flying out the house by the second-floor window. “I’m not…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was pretty happy with how things were turning out lately for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had been helping her a lot with her classes, Gus was a lot more open, Boscha hadn’t been bullying her and Skara was proving to be extremely good with all the help she had provided for her to avoid the little gang the Banshees were. She also had the fact of having recovered her friendship with Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just so happy… so why was she in that position again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you telling me you are not getting a date for Grom?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t either,” Willow said back at Gus through her scroll. “I don’t see why this is such a big deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a huge deal!” Gus </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouted</span>
  </em>
  <span>, “I thought you already had a date!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed. “Nobody asked me so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody? Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, please don’t rub it in my face…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him mutter something before he talked again. “And you don’t have anyone you want to go with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow blinked and sighed, if she was honest, there was no person in her school year she would’ve considered asking for Grom, the cons of being under Boscha’s thumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She even thought that Boscha would be capable of just dragging her into Grom so she could bully her all night long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Common nightmares, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> nice to have them, right?</span>
</p><p><span>Also, all her friends were counted for, Gus with his presentation, and Luz and Amity were</span> <span>an item that just </span><em><span>had </span></em><span>to go together. Willow didn’t want to think about other possibilities, to be fair, nobody was interested in her anyway, so asking would just end up in a polite decline from anyone she would try to invite anyway.</span></p><p>
  <span>“But Willow, you are so popular right now! I’m sure that anyone you asked would be so happy of going out with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going out? Gus, I don’t even think someone would want to go with Grom with me as </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m telling you there are lots of people who would love to go as more than that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, not funny,” Willow sighed and looked at her window. “I gotta go, keep your joke for another time, Gus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow is no-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t bother hearing the rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“As if anyone would want to go with me,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Willow thought and stood up, walking towards her closet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dress her dad’s got her was just so cute, too cute, even, at least for her to use it. She liked it, she loved it, really! But thinking about wearing it while the people looked at her for not having a date just made her cringe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grom was looking so bleak…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you bullied her? Really Boscha? I thought we talked about this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I tried to do other things but I just-! I couldn’t,” Boscha replied and buried her face in her hands. “She just gets me so nervous and I don’t know what to do anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could start by apologizing…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how people are supposed to do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris sighed and took a long sip of her tea, Boscha just so lucky she liked her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, sweetie…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweetie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Please, could you not call me that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better,” Klaris said and leaned in towards her, “now, can we talk about how this girl makes you feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha looked up at her and her third was tearing up while her other two were just getting wet.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll never get that…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Klaris thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is… she is just this amazing person…” Boscha finally said, “and I…I’m not, OK? I know you told me to not look down on myself, that I shouldn’t treat myself so bad, but I can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Boscha-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I just don’t get it! I just…I just want her to look at me! I want her to think I’m cool but she just won’t do that and I get so…so…!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Frustrated?” Klaris offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! And it’s just so horrible to be mean to her, but I… I know she won’t look at me if I don’t! My…My dad made it clear… that nobody would look at me if I don’t make them.” Boscha sighed and covered her face with her hands. “If I’m not the best, if I’m not mean people would just forget about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Boscha, that’s not true.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, it is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not, and you know it,” Klaris stood up and kneeled in front of Boscha. “Look, I know you think so, but you need to look around! There are people who are happy to have you in their lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like who?” Boscha answered with a chuckle. “Cat and Amelia just put up with me because I’m a team captain, Skara and Amity were introduced to me because our parents work together. Amity even said she never liked me! That she just hated me for our entire friendship!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yes… I think it has to do with the ‘wanna-be-criminal’…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn Clawthorne, right?” Klaris asked and Boscha nodded. “You should try to call people by the name’s regardless you like ‘em or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts in this,” she interrupted the teen and held her hands, making her lower them and look at her. “Boscha, I’m not gonna lie to you, you know that, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yeah, it’s the reason I’ve kept up the meetings...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sessions, we talked about this,” she said and smiled. “Boscha, this situation you are in is no good, I can’t say that everything is going to be fine, I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This pep talk is so bad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not done.” She moved a hand to Boscha’s cheek. “Look, I don’t know many things, but I do know that you are a marvelous girl, you just need to stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What? Being mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you need to stop treating yourself so poorly,” Klaris said, “you are treating yourself like it’s some kind of rule that you can’t be happy, Boscha, you deserve to be happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Many people would disagree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And they can, but that won’t make what they say true.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what I did does,” Boscha cried, “I’ve been making so many lives miserable…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So? Just make some amendments!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that easy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never said it was,” Klaris sang that, making Boscha flinch. “It’s not going to be an easy task, but, as someone once told me: ‘the hardest step on a long journey is always the first one’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That’s so sappy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s true.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I guess…” Boscha conceded and for the first time that day, the kid smiled at her. “…So, where should I start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris smiled and stood up, walking towards her small window, she took a small blue flower. “What about something with these? Willow likes them, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was not a sappy mom; she was, by all means, no cheesy either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So why was that stupid store manager looking at her like she had come out of some stupid soap-opera wearing a flowery dress and talking about cookies and rainbows?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom! You think this will be good?” Luz asked her, showing her an aquamarine cocktail dress. “Or it won’t suit me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Maybe because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, kid.” Eda sighed. “Maybe a warmer color? I don’t really think you want to be that obvious with who your date is going to be, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and then at the dress before her cheeks turned into two red masses. “You are… right, better to look for something else…” she said, placing the dress back in its place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded and walked with her further inside the store. She had ended going to a different one from the last time she had to go into the mission of buying clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, because the people of the store she went with Marcus would never forget about her being </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice </span>
  </em>
  <span>after the hell she made happen that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They browsed through dresses, suits, jackets, skirts, and… OK, Eda didn’t remember, but Luz had moved around the whole store basically pulling her by the arm and stopped to show her a million outfits just so Eda could share her thoughts on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had liked some, but Luz was nervous enough for her to just droop everything with a ‘that one’s good, let’s go’ and leave her to her devices… which was something she would’ve done before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hell, she did it with Lilith in their first Grom!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t get myself anymore…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought and leaned on a shelf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched the older dresses, and somehow it made her feel nostalgic. Her eyes landed in a pair she hadn’t seen in years, a set of an ash-like orange-colored cocktail dress with a wine jacket and the other one was a sky blue and white long silk dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They still have these models here?” She said and laughed a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which? Oh, those look so cute!” Luz commented, getting next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded. “Yeah… Though they are pretty old.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure? They don’t seem so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’m sure, those were Lily’s and mine Grom dresses for the last year we went together to Hexside, well, the design at least,” Eda said and nudged Luz. “I rocked it! Can you guess which did I use?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really a question?” Luz said and walked up to the orange one, “Maybe I should try your style for my dress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you should look to the other one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned so fast that could swear she heard neck crack. “What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!” Eda laughed and walked up to her, brushing the silk fabric of the dress with her hand. “Lily and I didn’t really like the colors, so we changed them with magic, but this.” She pointed to the blue dress. “Was mine, so I think you should probably go with my sister’s style, to be fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped a few seconds before nodding and walking back to where the newer clothes were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda followed her with her eyes and sighed before following her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And something else caught her eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared at it like something was dragging her towards it and stopped at less than five inches from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dress was a deep red color, brighter than her common clothes, it was similar to her sister’s, it hugged the figure of the mannequin until it loosened up in the tights. It had a revealing cut on one side.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where have I seen this before?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, getting a hand to her chin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda! I think I found something!” Luz shouted and she snapped out of her daydreaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One dress wasn’t important… OK, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> dress wasn’t important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda found Luz in the suits section and smiled at the giddy girl who was looking at multiple combinations of shirts and ties along with the tuxedos’ jackets and blazers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you are going with a suit?” Eda asked, getting next to her. “I thought you were going to use Lilith’s style.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was,” Luz replied, “but then I thought that she will probably go with a dress, and I’d like the photos to be variable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are such a weirdo in those things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you love me none the less!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure I do, Sure I do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, what a beautiful kid you have there, dear,” some woman said behind them. “Cherish her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tensed and bit her lip to not explode at the woman, instead, she took a pair of pants and started to look over them until she was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a sappy mom, you hag,” Eda said and growled. “I’m not some stupid woman who is just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy </span>
  </em>
  <span>of having a kid, watch yourself…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?” Luz called her out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” she snapped and Luz backed off on step. “Well? What is it, kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything and Eda went back to glaring at the pair of pants. There stayed in silence for a few minutes while Luz browsed through shelves, she was also eying a lot of a cocktail skirt that was just too similar to a tutu for Eda’s taste.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just when Eda was about to forget about the whole ‘sappy-mom’ thing, Luz </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to drop that question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it so bad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was fidgeting with her fingers and looking at the shirt in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you say, kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Is it so bad that you are a bit sappy?” Luz asked again and looked up at her. “I…I like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked down and left the pants of the suit on the shelf. “Kiddo-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it bad that I love you? That you are more of a family than what I ever had?” Luz asked and her grip on the shirt got tighter. “Is…Is bad that…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That?” Eda repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t say anything, she instead walked up at her until she pressed her forehead on Eda’s ribs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it bad that I don’t think that you being my mom it’s not simply a lie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda gaped and froze, what… what was happening there?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo… y-you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t move from her place, neither did she make a move to hug her. Eda looked around and multiple people were looking at them, not judging stares, but stares none the less.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, is it bad that I want you to be my mom so bad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped her words at that and finally processed what Luz was asking, what she meant with those words, all the emotion she had placed in those words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz, who longed for a family that loved her for far too long, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging</span>
  </em>
  <span> for Eda to be…to be…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…It’s not bad,” Eda said and put her arms around Luz’s figure. “Not bad at all, kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shivered a little and hugged her back the very next instant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why were there so many steps for something so easy to understand? Eda would never know it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had already decided to take care of the kid, she had accepted she cared about her, that her life with Luz was far better than without her, that she cared more about her than something else, hell, she even enjoyed being with the kid more than scamming people! All those signs were already enough for her to get it and she didn’t do it until that damn point! The fact she had exposed; acclaimed and lived by but not acknowledged yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m your mom, you want it or not, it’s not my choice any longer,” Eda said, pulling Luz away. “Now, can we get out of here before </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>people know I have a sappy side?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and nodded, taking a tutu from a mannequin. “Sure thing mom, and don’t worry, you are still the most badass and coolest witch out there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you better never forget about it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda may not understand many things about Luz or herself anymore, but after seeing Luz, after seeing her…her </span>
  <em>
    <span>daughter</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she didn’t think it was really all that bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll figure it out some other time,” she whispered after paying for the clothes and walking outside the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around and saw a bouquet of Camellias, and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at the kid and sighed. “I just really like those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz followed her gaze. “Oh! Camellias, those grow in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure do, it’s one of the common gifts around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ever received one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s mind flashed a bunch of flowers and a smile, all in a place covered in snow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I think I gave them, but I don’t really remember;” she replied and summoned her staff, “now, let’s go before other person sees me being cheesy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, mom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled and took flight, looking down at ‘Bonesborough’ before turning to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was the sun always so bright?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you didn’t get the direction wrong, Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaron, I’ve told you many times, I didn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed at her parents’ discussion and looked back at the little—not little, the three of them had to carry it!—shipment of groceries some rich folk had ordered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would never understand why her dad decided to give the delivery service a guarantee of going </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere </span>
  </em>
  <span>the client asked for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around the neighborhood they were in, it wasn’t like, much better off than where they lived, but many people had already looked weirdly at them and if she was being honest, it was beginning to bother her. She covered her face with a hand when a woman with a pet demon wearing boots passed next to them and </span>
  <em>
    <span>scoffed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why am I here…?” Willow whispered and looked at her parents. “I’m going to ask someone where the house is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked away from them and looked for the least ‘snob-looking’ person she could find, with ten minutes of walking and just receiving bad glares from people she decided to just go back with her dad’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tensed at the sound and took a deep breath before daring to turn around, she could recognize that voice whenever and wherever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha,” Willow said and finally faced the direction from where the voice had come. “What do you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her question was cut off by a bouquet of multiple flowers. She stared at them and just managed to catch a bit of what they were, carmine carnations, silver chrysanthemums, black gardenias, and grey marigolds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Willow said and took the bouquet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mostly by reflect, if she was being honest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I need to tell you something,” Boscha said, and Willow stared at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was in her school uniform, but there were trails of tears on her face, and somehow, she looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She also looked back an awful lot and Willow would’ve tried to look at what she was looking, if it wasn’t for how shocking her actual situation was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I…I…” Boscha began and she looked like something was cutting the air from getting into her lungs. “I’m…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s her deal?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Willow thought and took a step back. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny Boscha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” the redhead said and looked at her before groaning. “Of course you’d think that. No, No! It’s not a joke, I…I just need to tell you something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow’s mind got back on track with that sentence and all the possibilities of what that could be, and it became the usual dread she had whenever Boscha was close or just mentioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? That these are for my funeral?” Willow said and sighed. “I’m not in the mood, so if y-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not about that either!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what is it?! Look, my dads need my help,” she said and stopped, her eyes widening. “Wait, did you just call us here so you could prank me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But of course you did! Listen, you are paying for those things!” Willow said and turned her back on the potion’s witch. “Now, I’m going to tell them to bring your stuff, so if you don’t talk I’m just going to go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t believe she never considered what was happening, it was obvious nobody from that stupid </span>
  <em>
    <span>snob</span>
  </em>
  <span> neighborhood would really order something from their store, she should’ve known! She knew Boscha’s way of scamming people, she knew exactly what to expect from her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…OK, she wasn’t expecting that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I’m sorry, OK?!” Boscha repeated and looked down. “I’m sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry…” Willow repeated and scoffed. “Sorry?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held the flowers and shook her head before </span>
  <em>
    <span>stomping </span>
  </em>
  <span>one step towards Boscha, the redhead flinched, she left one hand go and pointed at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About what, exactly? About what in the name of Titan are you ‘sorry’?!” She asked. “About the years you terrorized me?! About making my life a hell?! About attacking my friends?! Or maybe is this about almost destroying my mind?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha didn’t say anything, she just kept making herself smaller and smaller, and… was she shivering?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on! Talk, you never shut up before!” Willow finally shouted and pushed Boscha with her free hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead looked up and, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her third eye was tearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-About all,” Boscha whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about it all!” she screamed and Willow backed off. “I’m sorry about all you said, OK?! I-I don’t know what to do, OK?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What are you talking about now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know!” Boscha covered her face with her hands again. “I knew this was stupid, I knew it was pointless, but I just had to go and do it! I can’t do a single </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing right, can I?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared and blinked several times. What was happening?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t call you out without being mean! I can’t talk to you without just, running my mouth and saying things I don’t mean!” Boscha continued, “I can’t even get my shit straight and </span>
  <em>
    <span>apologize </span>
  </em>
  <span>correctly to the girl I can’t stop thinking about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apologize?” Willow whispered and looked at the flowers, remembering the meaning of those together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the heat rising. But she couldn’t figure if it was because of the embarrassment or the rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?” She said and looked at Boscha. “What the hell, Boscha? Are you trying to tell me that it was all a fricking joke to you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! No, no, no it wasn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why do you think some flowers will fix it?! Nothing you can do will fix what you did!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to try something, OK?!” Boscha replied with a choking sob. “I have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>try, </span>
  </em>
  <span>even if it’s useless!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you even try?! You don’t care about anyone but yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I care about you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow felt like someone slapped. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>care</span>
  </em>
  <span> about me?! Care?! You attacked me, mocked me, undermined my self-confidence, and even made me consider dropping school! And you dare to say you care?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how to deal with people!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No shit! Just so you know, caring about someone doesn’t make it so you can destroy them! Why would you even do that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you wouldn’t look at me otherwise!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make any sense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the only shit I know!” Boscha finally broke and started to </span>
  <em>
    <span>cry</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “It’s… I don’t know anything else, OK? M-My dad did this to my mom, he always told me that people should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>under </span>
  </em>
  <span>me if I wanted them to notice me… that I should just establish I was better… but I can’t do that to you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t seem to have a problem!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that wasn’t enough!” Boscha shook her head. “I tried to make you think you weren’t good enough! I tried to push you down, but you wouldn’t budge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I didn’t budge?!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Willow thought and her grip tightened around the flowers. “Listen-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I need you to understand!” Boscha cut her, “I didn’t know what else to do! And now I know is wrong, OK?! But I thought nobody would see how special you were if I did that stupid thing of pushing you down! I was stupid, I was shitty and hell, you don’ have to put with me anymore, OK?! But I had to tell you that I’m sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That’s not enough, Boscha…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know! I know…” Boscha bit her lip and looked away. “I know nothing is enough, OK? I’m… I’m horrible, OK? But…but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t know what to do?” Willow finished. “Boscha… that, that’s not an excuse, do you have any idea of how painful it was? How </span>
  <em>
    <span>lonely?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I… I can’t forgive you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha looked up at her like some lost animal before letting out a sob mixed with a laugh. “I know… I suppose it’s only normal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, I don’t think you understand how bad what you did is,” Willow said and gave the flowers back at her. “I…I can’t just forgive you and act like what you did to me didn’t happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow held Boscha’s hands and looked at the girl’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I don’t think I can forgive, not now… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it,” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Never?” the redhead basically plead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know… but if you really want my forgiveness, flowers are not enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Someone… Someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> told me that these were a beginning,” Boscha said and raised them to be between their faces. “So… do you think they could be the first step?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at the girl and considered it. She had forgiven Skara, she had forgiven </span>
  <em>
    <span>Amity</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she had learned a lot about forgiveness from Luz, when she was the one who needed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But could she forgive </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boscha?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“…One can only try.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, taking the flowers once again, and nodded. “It can be a start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha smiled and nodded, and the slight blush in her face made Willow wonder: Who was that girl, or where the hell she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I won’t bully you anymore,” Boscha said, “I…I’m sorry, half- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Willow.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That would be nice, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boscha,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she replied, “that would be nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow! Come here, we found the house!” Her dad—Aaron—called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta go,” Willow said and pulled apart from Boscha. “See you in class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead didn’t smile at her, but she nodded and the tears stopped. “Yeah, see you in class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had a patient?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a last-minute thing,” Klaris told her, “I even had to help her buy flowers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled. “Flowers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She needed to apologize, and those are always a good start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me to give my sister a gift basket!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did say your sister didn’t like flowers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… true, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith laughed and looked at the woman in front of her; the archives had turned out to be a more relaxing place than what she had ever expected, and drinking tea there was becoming a routine rather quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it had to do with Klaris and her energy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are your plans for today, anyway?” Klaris asked, “I hope you don’t have only paperwork.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have half a day off since Kikimora doesn’t want me near anything vital,” Lilith responded, “so I’ll go out to eat with my family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t hear a reply and when she looked at the other woman, she found her grinning in her direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing!” Klaris shook her head. “It’s just, you seem happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith raised her eyebrows. “I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, but I meant, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>happier. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ve seen you for a while and now you seem, you know, brighter than before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We started talking just a few days ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve looked at you for a long while before that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you in love or something?” Lilith joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>spill her tea, but it was hardly a miracle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith coughed a little and looked at the other woman. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? I think I was pretty obvious,” Klaris replied looking down at her cup. “I’ve never been good to make friends, and frankly? That’s not what I’m looking to do with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith felt the heat rising to her face at the same speed her mind stopped working rationally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris in front of her giggled a little, her cheeks were a bit redder than before and her eyes traveled from one place of the room to the other, she was moving her fingers way too much around the cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m flattered,” Lilith managed to say, “but are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I mean!” she rushed, “I’m not really… relationship material. The last date I went to was about three years ago and it didn’t end up… on a good note.” She sighed. “And I’m a workaholic, with a horrible family situation. And besides, don’t you think it’s a little fast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Klaris in front of her, the brunette was standing right in front of her, her tea forgotten at the other side of the table, and Titan helped her, she was staring too </span>
  <em>
    <span>intensely</span>
  </em>
  <span> at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that like it’s an excuse,” she said, and Lilith bit her lip. “And don’t that, please, it’s already hard not to kiss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You could just do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris blinked several times and Lilith just realized what she had said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m in need of a date, but I didn’t need to be so evident!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lilith groaned and left the cup on the table, covering her face. “Titan just end me now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could… could I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith peaked between her fingers at the woman. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on…” Klaris groaned. “Lilith Clawthorne, can I kiss you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could have said something elegant, or funny, or simply have said </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>at all. But Lilith was far too shocked about it—also, far too excited, even if she would never say it out loud—to vocalize. So, she just nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Klaris closed the gap between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Lilith did feel a million things she would never be able to describe, she also could never be able to put into words how Klaris lips and… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tongue</span>
  </em>
  <span>—that woman was far more direct than she expected—felt on hers except by using the words ‘hot’, ‘soft’ and ‘good’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where was her romance lover’s brain? She was just like a kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…” Klaris whispered when they separated. “I… that was better than what I imagined.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith chuckled. “You imagined kissing me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More times than I’d like to accept.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s head was spinning, and she was pretty sure her blood pressure was by far higher than normal. But something in the blushing witch in front of her—and </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>the amount of time since her last good kiss—made her feel like she could be a little bit bolder than common.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” She said, turning towards her and smirking, “wanna try seeing if those times can live up to reality?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris stared at her before a smirk appeared on her lips too, her arms getting around her neck. “And you just said I was going fast…! Don’t you have dinner with your family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s in a while,” she replied, her own hands getting on Klaris’s hips and pulling her closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was being a lot bolder than what she was costumed to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say,” she said when Klaris was about to kiss her again. “Wanna go with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette’s answer was kissing her right there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora liked the night shifts; she was a nocturne creature after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That also gave her bits of information on the people around her, most witches liked to make bad choices at night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like the one Lilith just made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming in a little late, ain’t you, Lilith?” Kikimora asked, drinking from her apple blood cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you chaining me, Kiki?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you try to play dumb,” she walked until she was in front of the Clawthorne. “I know what you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was it, then? Please, enlighten me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora smiled and shook her head. “Oh, don’t you worry, I’m not the one to read you your crimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that responsibility is higher than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Higher… Don’t you mean-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Lilith, it’s my duty,” another voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora would never forget what happened after that. The guards had been pushed away, and Lilith along with her, both of them were swallowed by a mass of shadows. They fell and she landed on her feet, but Lilith crashed against the ground, Kikimora resisted the grin from forming on her face and turned her back on Lilith, kneeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emperor Belos was looking at them from his throne.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been playing me, Lilith,” he said, “for quite a long time, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s reply came after a cough. “E-Emperor…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silence,” he ordered and with a movement of his hand, Kikimora hear something hitting the ground followed by a groan. “You don’t get to speak up until I say so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Emperor stood up and walked a bit, stopping next to one of the few windows, Kikimora followed all of his movements with a careful eye. He stood there for a while and Lilith was… was she crying? No, not crying, but something was dripping on the ground, she couldn’t confuse the sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been fraternizing with a criminal, Lilith. You just came from a meeting with them, didn’t you?” Emperor Belos finally said. “Not only that, but you’ve been hiding important information from me regarding the most apprehensive matter at hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his hand again and Kikimora heard a scream along with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cracking</span>
  </em>
  <span> sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you have to say in your defense?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I…I don’t have an… excuse…” Lilith said after a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you really going to plea for your life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora tensed and felt the sudden necessity to look back, but stopped herself; something in the air was different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Emperor Belos asked and turned towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I won’t plea anything to you… ever again,” Lilith said, and Kikimora heard her scream the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are acting recklessly, Lilith.” The emperor vanished in the air and Kikimora felt the change of the air next to her. “What for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-My family is… worth more… than anything…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Emperor laughed. “Really? Where was this determination when you joined us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right here…” Lilith chuckled. “You always…always used… it to control me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promised you to heal your sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you never… meant it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just want my sister out… because she scares you…” Lilith interrupted him. “Because she is not bounded like most witches… because she can compete against you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a new ‘crack’ and Kikimora flinched at the scream that came after it. Lilith’s voice broke and she couldn’t negate it then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Clawthorne </span>
  <em>
    <span>cried.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense,” Emperor Belos growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then… why…why are you mad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because that kid, that you so gallantly protect as your family is nothing of yours!” He shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Kikimora whispered at the same time Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn’s real name is </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she is </span>
  <em>
    <span>my daughter!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora felt the world crumbling around her and suddenly all the nonsense she had faced lately just… fitted in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The books, the missions, the fact of keeping Lilith at bay… the reason for not making any public moves…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos had a daughter… a princess…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I don’t believe… you…” Lilith said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It does not matter,” The Emperor said, “I’ve exposed the truth to you, but you refuse to listen to it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a new crack, a new scream, and then a crashing sound. Kikimora didn’t dare to move; she didn’t even breathe until the Emperor passed her and sat again on his throne.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>traitor, </span>
  </em>
  <span>away, Kikimora,” he ordered her, “we’ll get the details about Luz later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my lord,” Kikimora said and turned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect to see both of Lilith’s legs bleeding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, Kiki?” Belos talked when she was about to cast a spell on the other woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Emperor Belos?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is an event coming soon, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I have heard about ‘Enchanting Grom Fright’ from Hexside being next week…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good,” he said, “Gromitious… that is promising.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Promising, my lord?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… now, off you go,” he said, “I have many things to prepare.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora didn’t wait, and rushed out, the unconscious and wounded Clawthorne floating behind her.</span>
</p><p>...<br/>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, a quick chapter about people getting ready, yeah, yeah. You maybe don't think much about Boscha, but I do like having a character with another chance, even more so if they are kids!<br/>Still, Boscha needs a lot of redemption in cannon, but this is my intake!<br/>Now, now, one important thought! The character "Klaris Sanders" is based on one incredible, really incredible artist @Karlseer !!!<br/>Now, Now, the song (Don't Be a Fool) is from Jerbo to Edric y ppl, I paint Jerbo as a little romance boy.<br/>Next week we have Grom...! First part.<br/>Yeah, I cut it in two, it was far too long!<br/>So yeah, we have two chapters for Grom coming! And now my people regarding Lilith, yeah, the poor woman can't catch a break, can she? And yeah, Belos is a monster!!! I know you hate him, I know, I do too, but a good villain needs to be either loved or hated, so I think I'm kind of doing a good job?<br/>Anyways, this is this week's chapter, I hope you liked it, feel free to comment and I'll be waiting to replay to ya!<br/>I know Boscha is not a forgivable character, but I placed it with Willow, one can only try, this doesn't mean she is in for the run for Willow's heart or just being her friend, but she is trying... beginning to try.<br/>that being said, I hope you liked the chapter, next week chapter marks the beginning of a lot of music-based things with stuff, I hope you'll be getting the vibes! <br/>Love ya all and feel free to follow me on tweet if ya want, too, @GabeLoveFiction<br/>I don't really go much around there, but I'll posting art and little wips of future projects and fics.<br/>Nothing else to say, nope, no, I'm done!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Grom Night Part One - A Day To Grom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grom is just a day away, a few witches are still trying to gather courage, time, flowers... Willow's help?</p><p>Just as the most important social event of the season is about to begin, what lurks in the dark? and What would Luz do when she is one of the few who still hasn't gotten her kind-of-but-not-really-girlfriend, Amity, to go with her?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Quick and swift this chapter will come to you.<br/>This may not be early for you ppl, but I'm posting this at the very midnight of my timezone since this chapter is a bit different from what you may be expecting.<br/>Not gonna get into spoilers, but I'll say that I hope you like this and that I have something to say to ya at the end of this, so we better just jump right into it!<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its characters don't belong to me, all the credit to their creator Dana Terrance and the big Disney. This story's sole purpose is to entertain.<br/>Playlist: Glad you exist - Dan &amp; Shay / 365 days - Leon Thomas III (Victorious) / You don't know me - Elizabeth Guilles</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Fear can push you down or push you forward.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Which one it is, depends solely on you.”p</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, what are you doing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I almost got it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow groaned at her best friend’s response and prepared a bed of flowers to catch her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since her last conversation with Boscha, she had enjoyed pretty much eventless school life. It had been weird, and when she explained what had happened to Skara and Amity, both girls had spilled their drinks and basically called her insane and ran out the cafeteria to find the redhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, now she had a lot of time with Luz and her… experiment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Rayos!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz shouted and landed on the bed of flowers. “I almost got it…” she whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could help you if you told me what you were trying to do, you know?” Willow said and helped her to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll know when I manage to make it,” Luz replied with a smile. “It’s going to be amazing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just keep getting in more and problems,” Willow said and held her by the arm. “Can’t you just relax for a minute? We have other things to think about right now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Grom is tomorrow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh…” Luz blinked a few times before it seemed to down on her. “Oh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still haven’t invited Amity!” Luz said and separated from her. “I still haven’t got a hold on the band!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared. “A-A band? Luz, Amity will say yes even if you asked her with an onion ring and two pieces of dirt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t mean I’m going to do that!” Luz replied and threw her arms up in the air. “I want to invite her in a really special way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Your life is already </span>
  <em>
    <span>special</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough for you to try and add stuff!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Amity is so special to me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Luz, we don’t have time to be cheesy,” Willow said and started to massage her nose-bridge. “We need to be going so we know who is going to be Grom royalty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right, the one ready to fight the beast…” Luz replied and sighed. “With my luck, I’m going to get to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no joke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t you try to comfort me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not here to lie to you.” She smirked and took Luz’s hand, pulling her along. “Now come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz whined all the way back inside Hexside about a band, an ice sculpture, and Viney not having Puddles to wear a tux. Willow tried to ignore the whole deal in her way in, ever since Boscha’s little apology, the redhead had been… nice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t bad, but hell, it was weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t tried to be her friend, but she did try to at least be somewhat a classmate of sorts, she said good morning to her, she stayed away from her unless it was necessary to be close and she had stopped the bullying all in all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that Willow had forgiven her, but…but it was a start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was also Skara’s thing…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bard girl had been around her all week, talking non-stop—not that Willow was bothered by it, if she was honest—and asking questions about Grom and her plans at any given chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she was any other witch, she would’ve thought that Skara was going to invite her. But it had been already far too long, and she wouldn’t keep her hopes up on that, not when Chadly had passed next to her while talking to that medical team ma’am just an hour ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’d be aiming too high if I thought she’d ask me out.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought turning a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Bo, I’m already planning to go with someone else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How came that she walked right at the moment Skara herself was rejecting a person?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I see, well, there is nothing I can do in that case,” Bo said and looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t be so gloomy!” Skara said and hugged the girl. “If I didn’t have plans already, I’d be sure to go with a cutie like you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!” Skara pulled away. “Anybody would be lucky to have your attention!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Even you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Bo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I get it, sorry,” Bo said with a little smile. “I’ll, I’ll just go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow saw the girl walk away and bit her tongue. Skara had been super nice and thoughtful while turning her down and Bo had been as composed as she could…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was a super nice rejection,” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow swallowed her opinions about that. “Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had almost forgotten that Skara was Hexside ‘Royalty’ to be honest. The girl was just so… normal around her that thinking of her like that super popular student that everyone wanted to be with was so hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara turned around and jumped a little at seeing them there. “Oh! Luz, Willow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there!” Luz said and separated from Willow, hugging Skara. “Sorry, we intruded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I thought we were good,” the bard witch replied, “sorry you had to see that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow coughed and moved to the side. “Don’t worry, our bad too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara’s eyes met hers and the silence that fell right then and there was just so hard and awkward. They looked at each other for a while before Luz decided it was enough of her suffering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because, yeah, Luz grinning all the time? She knew what was happening to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say Skara,” Luz said and got in front of Willow. “I’m really running short on time and I still need to ask Amity to Grom, think you can help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara smiled at Luz. “Help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! I was planning on having a big show for it, but I don’t think it’ll get it done in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you want me to be the show?” Skara asked and held Luz’s hands. “What are we playing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stopped following their conversation at that moment and turned around, walking away from the two over-excited witches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to think about what she just saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara rejecting someone was… awful? Good? Willow couldn’t being to understand how she was feeling. She knew Bo didn’t deserve to be hurt, and she knew rejection wasn’t something to be looking down at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t avoid being a bit happy of Skara rejecting the healer girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was just so messed up! She didn’t want to date Skara!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Well…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Argh, I’m a-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mess!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stopped and looked around, there wasn’t anyone in the hallway except her. She heard another thing, a crash, and looked to the side, there she saw one of the lockers slightly open and walked towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A door to the ‘Shortcut room’ was open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She peeked inside and found Viney running over a dress and a fluffy jacked with Jerbo looking between different types of shoes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viney! Which ones you think would look better? Black or red?!” Jerbo shouted and showed both pairs to the other brunette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know!” Viney replied. “What should </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>do?! Do I wear boots or heels? You think she’d be OK with both of us using a dress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know anything about heels!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow giggled at the panic of those two and closed the secret door, shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t the only one confused… even if it wasn’t about the same thing, everyone was still trying to figure things out, huh?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should probably try to get things straight…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and saw Amity running towards her with a bouquet of blood tulips and golden moonflowers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s gotten into you, Amity?” she asked when the girl stopped in front of her, patting. “What’s with the flowers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta ask Luz to Grom!” Amity said, “you think you can get these flowers to be a bit bigger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You can’t be serious…” Willow groaned and covered her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just how complicated could those two be?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard you, I heard you,” Willow replied and sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll help-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Attention students!” Principal Bump’s voice came from the speaker. “In the spirits of Grom night! I’m pleased to tell you that Grom Royalty this year will be… Amity Blight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The face of the witch in front of her went pale and she dropped the flowers, along with what Willow supposed was a note to ask Luz out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no… What am I gonna do?!” Amity shouted, getting her hands to her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow groaned. “You gotta be kidding me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t even deal with her own problems first? Titan!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you are chaperoning Grom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled while looking through her dresses. “Yep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never thought I’d get to see you excited about going to Hexside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped looking through a black set of dresses and hats to cross her arms. The little Fur-ball had a point there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess the party is what I care about,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s a lie.” King got in front of her and closed her closet door. “You hate kids, and drama, and a school dance is just a pit of those two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda groaned, the stupid demon </span>
  <em>
    <span>had a point. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Why are you making me think of this?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I don’t understand why are you so happy! And now I don’t think you do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is this important?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I need a reason to not think of my show!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared and laughed, sitting on the couch behind her and hearing King complain about it. She looked at the little creature before her eyes went to the closet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a black and velvet dress, and her laughs stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Eda?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was moving towards the thing, she passed a hand over it and smiled, not really sure about what. The dress was old, but it was also not small enough for it to be from her teens, it was fairly similar to the one she had seen with Luz on the store, too, the silhouette was a bit different, but the model was basically the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When had she used it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, now I’m worried,” King said, “you are getting all swoony like Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shut it,” Eda replied and looked away from the thing, “what if want to go to the stupid dance? Luz had made me do stranger stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King raised a hand and lowered it shortly after. “Touché.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, stop that stupid nervous racket and help me get something to wear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something to wear? I thought you’ll go with that dress over there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda shook her head. “Nah, I just… felt something about it, I don’t think I should go too much out of my way if I’m just chaperoning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…So, no dress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I think a suit will be better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure Lilith is going to like it? I don’t want to be between other of your sisterly fights,” King said, opening her closet again and jumping inside of it. “Bump sent her an invitation, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she told me about it a while ago,” Eda replied, getting a blue shirt out of the furniture. “But she hadn’t called since she introduced her ‘not-my-girlfriend!’, what was her name again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris!” King cheered jumping from between a few pants. “Oh, that woman, she gave me many cookies that night!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thankfully she was paying them,” Eda commented with a little giggle. “I wonder if Lily is getting her to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t she go to St. Epiderm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, she did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, drama!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda laughed along with the demon before she took a jacket out of the closet and King threw a red-shirt at her. Her outfit was starting to look a bit more compelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway!” She said, using magic to get the pants out the closet—a bit of magic every now and then wouldn’t kill her… hopefully—and pushed King out of it. “We have other things to think about!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed the door before the demon could say anything and started to pull the end of her dress. Her eyes went to the black and velvet one and she stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A clear night and laughs flashed in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did I use that again?” she wondered, and walked up to it, running a hand over it once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped moving her hand in the middle of it, feeling a piece of… paper?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved her hand a bit more finding a small pocket—the thing wasn’t just gorgeous, but also tricky? Hell, she was letting so many chances go away with that thing!—and took a folded sheet of paper out of it. She looked at the thing and stopped at recognizing the handwriting on top of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lily?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, holding the thing with both hands and unfolding it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Sister, I’m so sorry I can’t be with you today, but my work is still holding me away. I know it’s no excuse… but it’s, perhaps, for the best.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I don’t think I could share this with you face to face anymore.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I’ve hidden something from you, Edalyn, something important, something… horrible, and I don’t think you should continue your life without knowing about it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Edalyn, I hope, I wish… I </b>
  <b>
    <em>pray</em>
  </b>
  <b> you can forgive-</b>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The text stopped there, the paper had been torn, the last part of it completely lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?” Eda whispered, feeling how something hit the back of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She groaned and her eyes snapped open; that had been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>growl</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not a groan!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The curse!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, dropping to the ground and getting the box with elixir out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She downed three, four bottles before it started to pull back. Once it did, Eda sighed and looked at the empty glass bottles, and then to the note.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” King’s voice came from the other side of the door. “If you want me to help, you better hurry up, woman!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and sighed, getting the note in the box along with the empty bottles, and closed the closet, taking the suit she had pulled together and walking to her mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have time at that moment; she had a party to get ready for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure this is going to work?” Skara asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and took a couple of deep breaths. “Yeah, yeah! You remember the song, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I prefer to play the harp than a guitar, but yeah, I do.” Skara moved her fingers over the strings and looked back out. “I’m still not convinced of doing this on the Grugby field, thou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You prefer to do it in the hallway where everyone is going to see it?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had planned the thing carefully—as carefully someone could in an hour—and had planted the note in Amity’s locker for the abomination’s witch to go to the field after class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz did have classes with her, sure, but her plan was a little more important than panicking by being next to the girl she was about to ask to the dance, so please excuse her if she just ran away when their class ended to plant the note and get to where Skara was waiting for her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t understand where you got this song,” Skara said, looking at the notes she had given her. “I never heard of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip, she couldn’t tell her it was from an old T.V. show she had seen on the internet and that she had tweaked a little bit with the lyrics to get it to fit with Amity and her… OK, she could probably tell Skara all that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no way in hell she’d admit something that embarrassing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s something from my hometown,” she finally said, and heard the doors of the school open. “Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara’s snapped up at her and the girl began to shake. “No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… sorry, we are doing this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pushed Skara out and jumped right after her, her eyes closed and she took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was not like she hadn’t tried something like that before, she had. But well… she was alone, and she had chickened out every time, and the only time she had done it through… well, the rejection was something hard to face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the reason to do it on the field when all the people were in the hallways. Even when she knew Amity would probably—she really wanted to say surely but things kept getting into her head—say yes, but she had also played another card into that after a lot of consideration and she wasn’t so sure about how that would go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the cards were already on the table, she should just stop thinking and start singing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Monday, baby I’m enchanted by you…</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Tuesday, I don’t know where I’m going.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Wednesday, I’m standing outside of your door even thou I know it’s wrong!</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara joined her for the next part thankfully because her voice was about to crack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Every day that passed, Ev’ry moment of the month</b>
  <span>” Skara and she sang. “</span>
  <b>Gonna let you know where my heart is coming from!</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stayed and left Skara to take the lead. “</span>
  <b>Gotta find a way just to make you see.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Gotta find a way just to let you know</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rejoined the other witch for the next part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>I will try everything,</b>
  <span>” Luz opened her eyes and looked at Skara, the girl had done the same. “</span>
  <b>To make you come closer to me</b>
  <span>. </span>
  <b>And baby do you believe,</b>
  <span>” Luz leaned got her arm around Skara’s shoulders, and closed her eyes again. “</span>
  <b>It's not just a phase?</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How come she had managed to not look at Amity yet? God, if she did she was going to break and just mess up!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just finish the song, she was almost there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara got herself out of her hug and sang the next part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>You think you got me all figured out,</b>
  <span>” Skara sang, and her voice was somehow a bit softer. “</span>
  <b>Maybe tried to read my mind? Surely you think I'm the type to play around… But, baby, one change and I'll show you in time!</b>
  <span>” She pulled a really high note there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>OK, maybe Luz had just, and it was just a possible—completely and absolutely actually what she did—that made that specific part for Skara in a little rush. But it didn’t matter, they just needed the last part!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Every second. Ev’ry beat, beat of my heart.</b>
  <span>” Skara and she sang. “</span>
  <b>I want you all to myself;</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I want you all to myself…</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Cause you are magic for me, the spell that I’ll cast… Will give me a chance three hundred sixty-five days…!</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened her eyes and finally look to the front, Skara stopped the guitar music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw Amity staring at her, Willow by her side, and a huge bouquet of so many flowers. The teal-haired witch was so red! And Luz felt how her own face started to heat up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had she just…?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No! The song, the song!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and forced the last part of the lyrics out. “</span>
  <b>I’ll have three hundred sixty-five ways to enchant you, too…</b>
  <span>” She finished and cleared her throat. “Amity Blight, Willow Park, would you honor us by going to Grom with us?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> And Skara’s guitar strings snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz cleared her throat. “Hum, Amity with me and Willow with Skara, ju-just so we are clear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God! Thanks for not having anyone else seeing that!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Skara cried and held her by the shoulders, making her turn to face her. “We never talked about this!” She added, starting to shake her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you were never going to ask on your own!” Luz replied. “And Chadly had this crazy big ass invitation planned to be in front of everyone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! He…He did?” she asked, stopping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Girl, he hired a medical team and got an actual heart!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara left her to go after those words. “Wow… ho-how I’m I supposed to say no to that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was about to open her mouth when someone cleared their throat. She turned to where Amity and Willow were still looking at them. Amity was—still—gaping, but Willow had a small smile on her face and was trying—uselessly—to hide behind a small book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Willow said, walking up at them and stopping in front of her. “I can’t believe you actually pulled off something like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked, she might be super embarrassed, but she was still a Clawthorne. “How dare you to doubt me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen you try to write long words on runes,” she replied and Luz bit her tongue. “See?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah.” Willow giggled and turned to Skara. “And for your problem, I think I know how you could say no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara’s ears moved at that. “Really? How?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could just tell him you already have a date.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow’s smile grew, same as her blush. “Well… yeah, if you really want me to go with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara stared for a long time—five minutes—before her brain got, seemingly, back into function.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” she shouted, “I-I mean, yes, yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I really, really want you to go with me, Willow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I think you have a date!” Willow said, “you and me both, I mean!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Skara screamed and threw the guitar in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And Puddles caught it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Puddles, bad girl!” Luz heard and turned towards a bush.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It can’t be…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, getting a plant glyph and tapping it before throwing it towards the thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, when the vines grew, she had caught a ‘trouble makers’ group along with a ration of ‘Blight twins’, what a good caught, wouldn’t you agree?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were spying on us?!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Viney said, “We were here just by chance, I swear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I second that!” Emira said. “She just ate my really burned cake and took me to fly on Puddles!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just asking Edric to Grom when you started singing and the girls landed next to us!” Jerbo said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why is Barkus there then?” Luz asked, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Moral support!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s here for me, actually,” Edric said, “I get nervous when I’m happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you said yes?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Edric grinned at her. “Bro, how couldn’t I?! This cute guy just asked me to Grom! What am I gonna wear?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared for two seconds before giggling and turning to the one Blight she still hasn’t heard the voice of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity?” Luz asked walking up to the girl who was apparently having a little rant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yes?!” the girl replied. “Luz! You are talking to me! Well, you just asked me to Grom, with Skara and also you asked Willow, if she could go with Skara, and you with me, which I’d obviously love to! And I haven’t given you a response yet! And I-” She stopped and hid behind the bouquet in her hands. “I’ve been talking for too long…” She peeked over the flowers. “These are for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and took the flowers, smelling them slowly; the scent was lovely. She’d have to ask Willow the meaning of each later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But at that moment she had another thing to take care of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you say yes?” she asked again. “Will you to Grom with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at her and sighed before passing her a note. Luz took and opened it, reading the same exact question she had just asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just, it was her name at the beginning and Amity’s signature on the bottom corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I will, I’d love to,” Amity said, “I’m just a bit frustrated that you managed to ask me and not the other way around.” She finished with a little smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blushed and looked at the note before breaking a little fit of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is going to be a crazy time!” Luz said and hugged Amity. “I know you can beat Grom! And you better do it fast so we can dance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try my best,” Amity said with a little giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I love this and I’m currently recording it,” Edric talked, “you think you could put us down? The blood is going to my brain now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at him. “Sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped them face-first on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” she turned back to Amity. “Do you go to my house or we meet here? I don’t think you want me to go to the manor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris wondered just how she had gotten into that mess, really! She wasn’t sure anymore!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have prepared all the supplies?” Kikimora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soldier in front of her made a salute. “Yes, ma’am!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be fair, she had, maybe—surely, of course—used her perception distortion spell to look for Lilith around the castle because the Clawthorne hadn’t answered her messages since the dinner they had with her family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just wanted an explanation!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, well, she had run into a supplies line getting inside the deep chambers of the castle, and then a group of guards blocking windows and doors… so yeah, one thing led to the other and she then found herself standing on the fifth floor—where nobody was supposed to go except, Lilith, Kikimora and the people they called—behind a decorative column spying on Kikimora.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t trying to do so, but it just seemed to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s to be expected,” Kikimora said and sighed. “Now, get out of this floor, continue preparations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris saw the soldier go before looking back at the demon woman. Kikimora was dangerous to be around, even with her spell, she could still catch her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she needed answers so…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe losing one person is resulting to be this stressing…” Kikimora said and covered her eye. “Lilith did serve a purpose after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Klaris thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora started walking and she waited for five seconds before going after her. The demon woman entered a room and closed the door after her, Klaris stared at the thing and smashed herself against it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There weren’t any weird noises coming from inside, in reality, there wasn’t a single noise at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you so </span>
  <em>
    <span>bloody</span>
  </em>
  <span> careful?” she whispered and separated from the door. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I better go try to find Lilith…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could go through, the door swung open and Klaris found herself looking at Kikimora wearing a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dress</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the piece was silver and incredibly decorated, the demon had a pile of papers floating next to her, a cup of apple blood in her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>”What the hell? She had a date or something?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Klaris thought while getting closer to the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t been noticed yet, better not to push her luck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow’s night is going to be a big night,” Kikimora said and took a sip of her cup of apple blood. “Bigger than it has ever been…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“OK, I’ll repeat. What. The. Hell?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Klaris mentally groaned and watched the demon woman walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stayed still for a few seconds. When she was sure Kikimora had gone far enough, she slid into the office and looked around, nothing too strange, books, ritual knives, some pots with heads, and flasks with grains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you hiding here?” she whispered walking to the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped at one folder atop of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris read the words and tensed with each one of them, covering her mouth when finishing the whole document. She looked around and took the page, walking outside the room, running down the hall on the contrary direction from where Kikimora had gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to find Lilith! For more than an explanation that time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was about to fall asleep when the door of her cell opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at you,” Kikimora said, “so dirty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith snorted. “You could phrase it better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not wish to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Clawthorne looked at the demon, Kikimora didn’t move from her place at the entrance of the cell, maybe because of the dress she was wearing, maybe because it gave her a little sense of superiority.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t really care that much</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora stood there, in the light of the torches on the hallway. “How does it feel? Being the one with the chains?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Less foreign than what I’ve expected,” Lilith replied while shrugging. “Maybe is in my blood, as it’s in my sister’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never liked to be compared before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t like who she was before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Lilith said immediately and Kikimora raised an eyebrow. “My sister became someone I don’t have a problem being compared with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even when she is a kidnapper?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For that to be applicable, the person that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>kidnapped</span>
  </em>
  <span> should be there against their will, Lucelyn wants to stay with my sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith knew that was stupid reasoning and that it was wrong, but she also didn’t think Edalyn had even kidnapped Luz. It was too much of a hassle for the old Edalyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why would the ‘Owl Lady’ kidnap a kid? Her sister used to hate kids!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She should be with her family,” Kikimora said and Lilith scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean the Emperor!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you are wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora backed off. “Are you saying the Emperor Belos is… wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at the demon as she had just lost her mind—from anybody else point of view, it would the other way around—and smiled, cocking her head to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she finally said, “I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora glared at her for a few minutes, and Lilith’s smiled died slowly, as she was faced again with the cold and the uncomfortable feeling of her clothes, she lowered her head and tried to ignore it all. She closed her eyes and waited for Kikimora to go, close the door and forget about her until her next visit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect the demon to continue talking, and she sure didn’t expect </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just how pathetic can you be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked up again, her hair covering her right eye. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were the head of a coven, the greatest one of them all,” Kikimora said, walking inside the cell. “You left your family home at sixteen, you left your sister to become a beast so you could concentrate in escalating ranks, you even broke your relationship with me so you would be eligible to be head of the coven…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the recount in my life decisions,” Lilith said smiling bitterly. “Does it give you pleasure, perhaps? I mean, you always liked to look down on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not relevant-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course is </span>
  <em>
    <span>relevant!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lilith interrupted and stood up, the shackles in her ankles and wrist pulling her back down, but she didn’t fall. “You are enjoying it, aren’t you?! Seeing me in shackles, finally stripped of my position!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not the center of my interest-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then act like I’m not, because you’ve been coming for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days j</span>
  </em>
  <span>ust to mock me, to remind me of my choices! But you know what? I know what I choose and I’d do it again!” Lilith took a step and glared at the demon. “Because I’ve made mistakes, millions! But standing for my sister and for Lucelyn, being her daughter or not, is not one of them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora glared back at her. “That kid is the Emperor’s child!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A child he didn’t care for or helped to rise; if what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>believes </span>
  </em>
  <span>is true! My sister might not be perfect, hell, she is not even close! But she had changed, she became a better person… she became a </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s glare became soft at the memory of Eda and Lucelyn, and she chuckled, backing off, allowing the chains to pull her back to the wall and making her sit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My sister is a good mother… even if the child is not her blood,” Lilith said, looking up to Kikimora. “I ought to be a good aunt, don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Are you that desperate?” Kikimora asked back, fixing her posture. “Are you really willing to give away everything you’ve worked for… just because of that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Lilith smiled at Kikimora’s face of surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon didn’t answer her that time; she just turned away and walked out, closing the door behind her. Lilith looked at the metal for minutes, or maybe hours before letting out a soft giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Even years later, I still take the blows for you, Edalyn.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Lilith thought while leaning against the wall. “I guess it’s only fair…”</span>
</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>..</p><p>...</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yeah, the little calm before the storm once again, and yep, this was a really short chapter.<br/>quick notes:<br/>- Luz song is the same as the playlist, 365 days, but tweaked a little<br/>- Yes, Lilith is still alive.<br/>Besides that, I'll be reading your theories for ay of the things that are coming up. The next chapter is longer and quite frankly? A monster.<br/>No joke intended.<br/>This is the chapter I wanted to make art for the most. Not gonna lie to you, I wrote Skara originally as I did so I could have this scene in this story. I just love music in stories, even when I don't actually like to write the lyrics, but I had to, I was weak.<br/>The little surprise is that, in spite of this short chapter I've prepared a series of one-shots that I'll be publishing in the series<br/>"Flames and Lights" this week starting on Monday until Friday (If my energy doesn't get cut, since yeah, I had 3 blackouts this week, so I'll be trying to keep it up!) and you people will be having a vote of what get's published first in the comments and in my Twitter account!<br/>It's surely going to flop on Twitter, but I have to publish something once in a while, so...<br/>Anyway! the three options for the one shot that will be freed from my weird brain on Monday are:<br/>1.- My kinda-sorta-maybe-maybe-not-Girlfriend is acting weird.<br/>2.- It's a matter of rhythm, dear.<br/>3.- That cute librarian's smile shouldn't be legal.<br/>I'm not telling you the settings, but rest assured, they are all Lumity!<br/>I'm probably gonna try with other ships soon, I'll take suggestions on those, too!<br/>Nothing much more to say, so... leave your votes, and your comments, and theories.<br/>Feel free to check out my Twitter where I mostly ghost people but I'll try to post more art and wips of future works! (@GabeLovefiction)<br/>Nothing else in my mind, me?<br/>Me: Nope, nothing but Cheetos and cola<br/>Ok, that's good enough, see ya people!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Grom Night Part Two - What Scares Me The Most Is-</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grom Night is here, the witches are gathering in Hexside for the event of the season and the moon in teh sky is shining to allow people to remember this magical night for the rest of their lives-</p><p>Or that was the plan.</p><p>When something goes horribly wrong, and the gang is separated in the middle of the chaos, what will Luz, Eda, Amity, Lilith, Willow, Gus, and the others do? How will they face a threat like no other before?</p><p>Will they Fear Everything And Run?</p><p>Or will they Face Everything And Rise?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>At long last... here we are!</p><p>Not gonna lie, this chapter created an incredible amount of hype when it aired, and I'm really happy I managed to get to this chapter in the fic, because Grom Night is amazing!<br/>Now, now, I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave my comments and crazy talk for the end of the chapter, and I'll be hoping you like what you read!<br/>Thank you so much to everybody that has been reading this story from its humble beginnings and I hope you'll follow it to its end.</p><p>Playlist: Dynamite - BTS / Unbreakable - Carole &amp; Tuesday soundtrack / Perfect Harmony - Julie and the Phantoms soundtrack / Army of Two - Carole &amp; Tuesday soundtrack </p><p>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its characters don't belong to me and this story was made with the sole purpose of entertaining its readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Pain and fear are not charges, nor punishments.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>They are gifts, that lets us know when we hurt others, and when we are about to hurt ourselves.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, come on! We are gonna be late!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned. “But we are already late, Eda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we are not late for the people making drama about being late!” The woman’s voice came from downstairs. “I don’t want to miss that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and looked back to her reflection in the mirror. Her jacket was good, her skirt—a tutu, she had finally decided it would leave her run easier than other things—was on its place with good enough elevation, her boots were perfect, just as her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She also had more cards than ever on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, let me be paranoid,” she whispered, polishing her bottoms and smiling at the little pieces of metal. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Perfecto… please, let this work…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming, Eda!” she shouted back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed the door of her room and walked downstairs to find Eda glaring at the waist watch she had made with King’s image instead of the arrows. Her suit was as perfect as it could be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here, I’m here!” Luz said when reaching her, Eda </span>
  <em>
    <span>glared </span>
  </em>
  <span>at her. “Come on, is just a bit of drama, don’t look at me like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect Eda’s next words. “What’s the matter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, I think I know you enough to know something is bothering you.” Eda crossed her arms. “You were perfectly fine yesterday when you rushed in practically puking rainbows, and now? You almost look scared of going to the damn thing at all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down and sighed, getting her hands around her middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if it’s the yogurt I ate earlier, but something is making my stomach feel queasy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I had to try,” she replied with a smile, Eda’s frown got worse. “OK, OK… I’m scared, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scared?” Eda asked. “I thought your date was Grom royalty, not you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grom royalty, but I…I’m worried.” Luz sighed. “Every time something important happens, we manage to get something wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Not every time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Luz asked and started to count with her fingers. “I got here, and we got in a prison break, we had a fight, and killed one of you competitors, we were bonding, and your curse happened, Covention, I almost killed Amity, conjuring, you almost lost King in a game and I was chased by demon hunters, the day you got me in Hexside-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK! I get, stop!” Eda said and groaned. “I see your point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… So sorry, but I’m getting prepared for something to happen… thou, I really want this to go well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo, we are Clawthorne! Things don’t go ‘well’ for us, but we always manage to pull through!” Eda said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “’Sides, we have the best stories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed at that and nodded. “Yeah, we do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, let’s get moving before King remembers his show should’ve started an hour ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My show what?!” The little demon voice came from outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz grinned and shook her head. “I think is a bit late for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled at the light on the gym before she looked around once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many people were staring at her, well, at her and her </span>
  <em>
    <span>date.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” she heard and looked back to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara was shown at her with such worry that Willow felt bad about being a pain for the bard girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara had shown up at her house half an hour before the time Grom would start, carrying not only a bouquet for her—she was getting a lot of new flowers lately, huh?—and a bottle of green apple blood for her parents, looking sharp on her suit and smiling like the world was on her hands that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When her dad had commented, Skara had replied with a ‘maybe it is’ while holding Willow’s hand, and that had sent her dads in a spiral of taking pictures for twenty </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole</span>
  </em>
  <span> minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing,” she replied, her grip on Skara’s waist tightening a bit. “Just thinking of how of a sweet talker you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl blushed a bit and looked away. “I wasn’t, like, trying, or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow giggled and moved her hands, taking Skara’s from her shoulder and spinning the girl. Dancing wasn’t her thing, but the other witch had done wonders guiding her, and she felt like taking a little risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also, she doubted that Skara knew how much impact that little phrase had had on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Titan, her cheeks burned!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I think you are getting the hang of this,” Skara said when they returned to their original position. “But maybe we could take a break?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I step on your foot again?” Willow asked back, looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, you’re perfect!” Skara said, “I just need something to drink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, OK!” Willow said pulling away from her. “Then let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara smiled and took her hand, pulling her out the dance floor and towards the snack table. Willow still felt… weird, with the newfound closeness the other girl was showing, but it was a good way of weird, like being Luz’s friend, but different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was a good kind of ‘different’!… Ugh, why was it so hard to explain </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” someone said and Skara stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked ahead and found three eyes looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, Boscha,” Skara said, tensing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tightened her grip on the witch’s hand before talking. “Hello… you look lovely tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha blushed a bit and looked down, her blue dress shone when she moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Boscha said, “…you, you two look really good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…That was awkward to death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Boscha,” Willow said and released Skara’s hand. “I’m gonna get some punch, B.R.B!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Running away was probably not the best choice, but please, she was having a hard enough time with herself to go and add more drama in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Titan…” Willow sighed and placed both hands on the snack table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back at the two witches and found Skara frowning at Boscha; the redhead was </span>
  <em>
    <span>glaring </span>
  </em>
  <span>at the other witch, and… was that fire? Who had started it?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those two are going to make a mess,” she whispered, getting two plastic cups and filling them with blood-berry juice before turning again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect to see Amity there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned towards the door and saw Luz entering the place with Eda and  King, the little demon practically teleported from the entrance to where Gus was next to the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she replied and received the hug the brunette gave her. “I thought you’d be here earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry about that, I was getting ready,” Luz said and got a plastic cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready? I thought you had all set beforehand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… these were some last-minute details.” Luz smiled at her before taking a sip of the punch. “I was short on cards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cards? But you are no-” Willow stopped and her curious look changed to a blank stare. “I get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and placed the empty cup aside. “Yeah, I did too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, leaving the gloom possibilities aside, we do have a more immediate situation,” Willow said and pointed behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes wondered a few seconds before she paled—there was no other word to express how she reacted—and groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just got here and there is already a fight about to break loose” Luz muttered. “I haven’t even had a chance to dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s a nice experience!” Willow said, “Now, get some punch and help me avoid a fight that’s not in  the schedule?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aye, aye captain!” Luz said and started filling three cups.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow took a deep breath and walked towards the three witches that had used to follow her in her nightmares, Luz by her side. They were… talking?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Doesn’t change anything, does it?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying, OK? I can’t do more than that…” That was Boscha.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you got off pretty easy if I say so myself.” Skara smiled and sighed. “We are just so lucky she is so kind, don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other two witches shared a look. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow is far too good to any of us,” Amity commented, “be as a friend or anything else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow blushed and stopped walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, so they were talking about you?” Luz asked, and Willow looked at her. “Not that I’m surprised but…” her friend shrugged and grinned. “Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow saw how her friend jumped a bit and looked at them, her face turned beet red the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity </span>
  <em>
    <span>yelped. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You’re here! In Grom, the party you asked me to come to! Together! As in a date…!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is talking too much,” Boscha muttered when Willow reached where Skara and she were standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Skara said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think she’ll ever stop doing that?” Willow asked, passing both witches a cup of punch and crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>talking and Luz just smiled at her, letting her be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure,” Skara replied, “thanks for the punch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha took a loud sip of her cup before sighing. “It’s so weird to look at her being super awkward; it’s just… super weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Couldn’t have said it better,” Willow replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity finally stopped talking, Luz offered her a cup of punch and when the girl took it, Luz got close and placed her cheek on Amity’s. The other girl basically passed outstanding at that point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s with that?” Boscha asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s human stuff she learned from her mom,” Willow said while shrugging, “pretty weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s cute,” Skara said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you do,” Boscha commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow giggled a bit along with the other two girls and looked at them. How weird was that her bullies for years were there just… talking to her, and moreover, that she was the date of one of them on one of the most amazing nights of the year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was without counting with the fact that the other one had, somewhat, confessed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How is this even possible?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gals! Let’s dance!” Luz’s voice came and Willow felt a plastic cup touching her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes to find her best friend smiling at her, Willow returned the gesture and took the cup. Luz’s grin got wider and she turned to take Amity’s hand, pulling her towards the dance floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should go, too, Bo and Moony are waiting for me anyway,” Boscha said, making a spell and burned the cup in her hand. “It was… it was nice, talking to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, same,” Skara said and took Willow’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow watched Boscha go and sighed, downing the punch in her cup with a single movement and turning towards Skara, the girl was smiling while looking at the dance floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shall we?” Willow asked, taking the cup from Skara’s other hand and making them a small ball, throwing it to the trash can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scored.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We shall,” Skara said, pulling her along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tried to not step on Skara’s foot that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege, is almost time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos sighed and stood up, looking through the window of the throne room. The moon was high in the sky, the town in the distance shinning with dim lights. Grom night was more of an in-school event, but every person was conscious of the risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that didn’t mean they were prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, now leave, Kiki,” Belos ordered, looking at the demon woman. “I’ll be expecting you to be there to avoid her being devoured.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora nodded at him. “Yes, my lord.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was alone, Belos moved his hand, his staff appearing and another object materializing beside it, too; a small box, no much bigger than a coin case, made of pure black wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tonight, we stop playing, Luz…” he whispered, and opened the box with a movement of his staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little shifting red and black mass tried to jump at him, getting crashed against a barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos nodded. “Do not fret, my little nightmare, your time is close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his staff and the world around him started to shift. The use of that magic outside the palace was always straining, but that night?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He appeared inside a dark place, the shadows moving, changing from place to place with a surpassing speed. He looked ahead, and there was a growl, the movement continued, and then, it all stopped, in front of him appeared a pair of white dots, the shadows taking shape, color, and height.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we meet yet again, fear of mine,” Belos whispered, walking up to the new silhouette, the thing didn’t move. “It’s been a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos moved his hand; the wooden box floated and suspended itself over the head of the silhouette. The man’s hand got on the side of the thing and brushed off some dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s not waste time, shall we?” he whispered. “Is time for you to play… to really go ou-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now!” another voice came and Belos looked up, the ceiling was opening. “Our Grom queen shall defeat the monster and grant us peace of mind!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Incredible…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Belos thought and sighed, looking back at the silhouette. “We shall wait a bit, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made the box fly back at him and cast a new spell, his own figure disappearing, blending with the environment and making him unperceivable. He saw how a girl charging with a sword walked down the ramp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can do this; you can do this…” the girl said, looking around. “Luz believes in you… believe in yourself…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” Belos whispered and idly tapped his chin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“So you know her, little one?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there she was, first line and all; dressed in such a… strange outfit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would’ve gone for a far more traditional dress, gold and white always fitted, but Luz… he would’ve to make her clothes with blue on them, blue and gold would be good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A dress would be a necessity, for her position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a clash and Belos looked at where the ‘warrior’ had engaged in battle with Gromitious. The beast had taken multiple shapes, but Belos wasn’t sure what those represented, the demonic creature had that strange need of being... </span>
  <em>
    <span>private</span>
  </em>
  <span>, with the nightmares it unleased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl was doing fairly well, he guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to finish this!” She shouted and made a spell circle, an abomination one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Interesting choice…” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The abomination that came out was… weird, to say the least. Its form was common, but the composition had something different, the girl screamed and spun over herself, throwing the sword she had in her hands towards Gromitious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Foolish…” he scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gromitious avoided the attack… and then, the abomination jumped and caught the sword in the air, throwing it back, managing to stab the monster, just so it could then fall over the beast and </span>
  <em>
    <span>melt</span>
  </em>
  <span>, covering it like a cape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little witch proceeded to blast a torrent of purple flames right after it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Gromitious burned, rather easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A flammable abomination?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Belos thought and looked at the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was panting, but smiling nonetheless. She raised her hands in victory and started jump while screaming, such a childish act, regardless of her smart move and victory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t bother to hear the principal talking, nor the silly kid who dared to try to act as a host of a sacred rite. The fight against Gromitious should be a fearing experience, not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>scammer’s show!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was going to show them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ceiling closed once again and Belos dispelled his camouflage while looking at the few remains of the beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, do not worry, my little scum,” he said, making the box that was floating next to him lower itself to the ground. “You are about to take revenge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He released the barrier on the box and left the small mass jump out of it. It attacked the remains of Gromitious, devouring them greedily. It started to grow and growl. Belos watched until the mass was as big as before and then it started to get a new composition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Long spider-like legs grew out of it, the pure white fur came from them, and then it turned black as a starless night, next were fangs and a horrible nose, a changing set of eyes that dissolved into a black mass and then got absorbed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are ready, my beast,” he whispered, “slither beast blood, Palisman essence, ‘Greater Basilisk’ scales, and my own power…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a roar and a part of it separated from the main body, it crashed against the ground and started to move, a little monster was born, and then another, and another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos nodded and looked up. “Let the real fight, begin…” He said, and raised his staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ceiling started to open at the same time he vanished into the environment, screams came from up above and the lights went off, the growls and howls of the little beasts filling the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, Luz… what will you do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was so mad about Luz being right in something she wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, having to face a wave of nightmare creatures that brought people’s worst fear into life was also upsetting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!” she shouted, and looked around the gym.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light going out was the worst part—strategically talking—of it all, Luz and her date were in the center of it all, the beast basically haunting all the teens, jumping on their faces, the lucky ones blasted them away, the not so lucky…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, there was plenty of space on the floor, thankfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she shouted again and groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Why can’t we seem to have a nice night out?! This was supposed to be mom’s night out!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She blasted past some of the monsters and threw herself into the pit where Amity had fought Grom before, there she found hundreds of the little copies of the demon, piling on themselves to get out from other spots besides the ramp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And of course, she saw the ‘mother’ of the little shits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just… what the hell?!” She screamed, blasting a magic ring around her that eliminated a good number of copies. “How comes you can do this? You never did before!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like it has a special ability, ‘Owl Lady’. It just so happened to need my help,” a voice came from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t waste a second and made multiple spikes grow from the ground, crashing against each other behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” Eda barked the words, looking at her left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos appeared in front of her, his staff ready and his stupid mask as perfect as ever. “Now, now, no need to be savages.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blasted him a new wave of magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’ll admit, my choice of words is not kind,” Belos said after blocking her attack. “But I pride myself in my accuracy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” Eda asked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing what I promised, don’t you remember, ‘Owl Lady’?” He replied. “I’ve come for my daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda scoffed. “I’ve already told ya, Luz is nothing of yours, scumbag!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t lie to her blood, to her power, can you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you think that that will make her yours, then the ‘wise’ part of your self-imposed title is a lie,” Eda replied, raising her own staff. “I’ll never understand why my sister wanted to follow you so bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith was such a simple-minded girl, she was good following orders,” Belos said, “until Lucelyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What do you mean with, was?” Eda asked, but Belos didn’t answer. “What did you do to her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to my sister?!” Eda shouted and blasted a new magic attack towards Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man moved his staff and dispersed her attack. “She is alive, if it’s what you care about. She is a bit… undisposed, thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw red after that, she attacked with a new wave of magic and build up a new spell over the first one, that time Belos wasn’t able to block it on time, and the attack managed to push him back against a wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is she?!” she screamed, attacking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked up and moved his staff; a wall of earth rose and received the impact. “What is to you? I thought you two hated each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not leaving my kid without an aunt! You hear me!” she screamed and jumped ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slammed herself against Belos barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already took my family once,” Eda said while glaring at him. “You are not doing it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked back at her. “Your sister's decision of joining my coven was never my doing, nor of my interest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos pushed her away and made a move with his staff, Eda felt an all too well-known sensation on her ankles and her wrists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may have escaped my spell before,” he said, and walked up to her. “But this time, I won’t take chances of you interfering.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made a new movement and Eda started to sink. “Belos! Stay away from my kid, or Titan help me! I’ll sink you alive and make a toilet cover!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“But she is not yours, is she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is more mine than she’ll ever be yours!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see about that, ‘Owl Lady’,” he said, “we’ll see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda couldn’t scream at him much more, the shadow finally took her and she then crashed against hard rock, wet ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon of a-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes snapped open and her ears perked at that voice. She turned around and even rolled over herself to search the place. It was dark, with multiple leeks on the ceiling and the stone that it was made of was fairly old.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is there?” she asked, kneeling and covering her eyes with her hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“That thing took a lot of my energy…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought while rubbing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you telling me you forgot about my voice so quickly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes finally caught up with the lightning of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t like what she saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister smiled, raising her hands—her </span>
  <em>
    <span>chained</span>
  </em>
  <span> hands—and making a silly move with them. “Hello, Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, what happened to you?” Eda asked, and got closer to her. “Where are we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are in the palace’s dungeons,” Lilith replied, lowering her hands. “And I think you can guess what happened to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Titan… is this because of Luz and me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because of myself and my choices.” She said and leaned back. “I can live with the consequences-” her stomach growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared and giggled before getting her hand in her hair, taking out a bag of fries. “Hera ya go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled at her and took the bag. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, since when are you here?” Eda asked when Lilith had eaten half the bag. “You are really skinny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think, maybe… a week?” Lilith replied, “When did we have dinner? With Klaris.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was a week ago,” Eda said, “so you’ve been here all this time?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, not much of a choice.” Lilith showed her the chains. “I wanted to tell you about it, but as you can guess…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, chains are horrible for communication,” Eda joked. “So, how do we get out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With magic, actually,” Lilith sighed. “But these chains are made to block mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we are in luck!” Eda said and summoned her staff. “Let’s get out of here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn,” Lilith said and held her hand. “Even if I get out, there is nowhere for me to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course there is!” Eda said, “you come to the ‘Owl House’ with Luz and me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…W-What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back at her sister, and found Lilith staring at her. Her expression was so… surprised, so distant and yearning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you mean that?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smirked. “But of course! You are becoming a fugitive! I was never so happy, and I have your room all ready and prepared, along with a book of notes on how to be actually cool…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Titan, have a sense of humor, woman,” Eda said, kneeling to be at Lilith’s eye level. “Of course I’m serious, I know we have our… issues, but you are my sister, I gotta be there for you, don’t I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t say anything. Eda sighed and made a spell circle, opening all the shackles on her sister’s limbs. She stood up and looked at the wall, concentrating on her most destructive but energy economizing spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she blasted the stupid wall to bits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, come along, sister!” Eda said and turned towards Lilith, taking her hands and pulling her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, I’ve been horrible!” Lilith said, snapping her hands away. “I’ve been a bad sister, a horrible aunt, and even the worst friend!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, the-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! This is supposed to be my punishment! I deserve to be here after all I did! After I-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow!” Eda stopped her, holding her by the shoulders. “Lily, Lily! Listen to me!” she said, “I don’t care what you did, listen, to, me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda pulled her along to the edge of the room, they were right on one side of the huge stone pillar that held the castle over the void on the chest of the isles, the spikes on the bottom shone under the moonlight for barely a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz needs you! No- Luz </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants you </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her life!” Eda said, “So don’t you dare to decide you have an out! I don’t, and you don’t either! You even got a girlfriend I can tease you with!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith gaped at her. “B-But I-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I. Don’t. Care!” Eda cut her and pulled her into a hug—Luz was rubbing off on her too much!—and took in how thin her sister was. “No matter what you did, when you did it or whatever! Luz wants you in her life, she wants her aunt! And... and I want my sister!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Edalyn… I-I know Lucelyn… I know…” Lilith said, “I know she is not your-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blood kid?” Eda cut her off and sighed, “Well, I supposed that was to be expected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, if the bastard threw you here that means he had to tell you about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“E-Edalyn, you have the Emperor’s daughter and you act like this?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She might not be our blood but she is </span>
  <em>
    <span>my daughter! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nothing of that bastard!” Eda screamed. “Now, are you going to be on </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>side and stay here to rot, or are you coming with me to be with your family and that funny girlfriend of yours?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t say anything for a few seconds, it wasn’t until Eda thought she would really choose to stay that her sister sighed and laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t deal with you,” Lilith said, “let’s go, I really like my niece.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled and flinched, her arm was starting to get some feathers on it. “We need to get me some elixir…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we are going back to your house?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time,” she groaned and mounted her staff, Lilith summoned hers and did the same. “We’ll go to the city, I’ll get more at the store.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The city?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bastard is playing with fire,” Eda said, taking off. “And he is going to get burned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just needed Morton to be open and alright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was freaking out when she defeated Grom after that damn thing had transformed into a bizarre version of her mother and started to shout about not allowing Luz to be with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also with almost kissing Luz in the lips, for real that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But of course, their luck sucked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just when she was about to go for the kiss, the arena reopened and hell broke loose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she was running around the city, with those things attacking every person and showing them their worst nightmares just like it had done with her… she’d lie if she said that it wasn’t a little comforting to know she wasn’t facing that nightmare alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But still, she wasn’t expecting to see the original thing—the one she burned after working with Boscha and Luz, separately, of course, to make her abomination inflammable—walking down the main street and stopping in front of Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…OK, she might have guessed something like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you have normal problems?” Amity asked, covering her face with a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dunno,” Luz replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was that third voice. “Oh, that’s because you aren’t ‘normal’, Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity tensed and looked around, the voice had come out of the nothingness and it was… hell, she didn’t have an idea of how to describe it, but it was making her head fuzzy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was until she heard Luz reply. “Oh, come on! Why did you have to come today?! I already have a problem here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but I came along with this situation…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity then saw it, how a shape started to take form on top of the original Gromitious.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Are you kidding me?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, her blood freezing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you did this?” Luz asked, “You turned Grom into a monster worse than before?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Emperor Belos</span>
  </em>
  <span> stood up straight on top of the most horrible creature Amity had ever faced, perfectly composed and stable, not fearing the beast but rather… commanding it. He looked at Luz from atop the beast and Amity felt like something around them just… broke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do whatever it takes to make the Titan’s will true,” he replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it’s the Titan’s will to kill all these people?!” Luz shouted, “Is their will to destroy everything?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do whatever it takes for the Titan’s wishes to be granted,” he said again, “a few lives are no matter in the greater scheme of things, and all these casualties could be avoided if you just came with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A few…? These are hundreds!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, her rage slowly overcoming her fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what will happen when you get me?” Luz asked, “Are you saying you’ll take Grom back and just downgrade it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity also wanted to hear the answer to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos chuckled a little. “The witchlings will survive; the fittest will stand up to this situation…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’ll just let them... to die?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her and the Emperor did, too. Amity moved a hand to cover her mouth and looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like your little friend had gotten over her panic, you had interesting people around you, Luz,” the Emperor said, “not many people dare to speak up to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t try to change the subject,” Luz replied and stood between Amity and him. “That’s what you’re planning, right? Just leave the new Grom and its minions free? How is that ‘avoiding the casualties'? Everyone suffers if I go with you, same if I don’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are really bad at this thing of ‘negotiating’,” Luz commented and Amity didn’t need to see her face to know she was smirking. “You do get I don’t have a reason to do anything else but beat you and your monster?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t stand a chance against our powers combined,” The emperor said, “what makes you think you’d be able to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fact that, different from you, I’m not fighting this battle alone!” Luz shouted and threw her cards at him, the paper turned into spears of fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you learn to do that?!” Amity asked before Luz held her hand and pulled her to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just in time to avoid a claw-like mass of dark matter from crushing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we can discuss that later, right?!” Luz said and turned, holding her by the waist and throwing her upwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity saw her jump and also when she threw a new card to the ground. An ice pillar emerged from under them and Luz hit it before catching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked down, Grom and its minions had really messed up the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t do this here,” she said making a motion for Luz to put her down, “we need to get away from the city.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You are more composed than what I thought,” Luz said and prepared a few other cards. “I was expecting a bit more of ‘tell me what the hell is going on?’, to be honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t think you are off the hook,” Amity said and made a spell circle, her abomination rising behind her. “I still want an explanation of how in the hell did you get the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking Emperor </span>
  </em>
  <span>to call you by your name and why the damn he wants you so bad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… a long story?” Luz offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are going to have time, later.” Amity turned down again and groaned. “I just wanted my dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I was also looking forward to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not the one who paid the band to play a slow song…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you did that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not the time, Clawthorne,” was her answer. “How do we get these things away from the city?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and then at the ground, she pointed to an empty street. “We could bait them and lead them outside town.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You are the bait, right?” Amity asked and Luz nodded, “Why am I not surprised?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think there is another way of doing this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish, but I’m short on ideas and time.” She made a new spell circle and summoned a fireball. “Can you please promise you won’t break a limb this time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’ll try?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and shook her head. “I’ll take that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had seen enough zombie movies to understand when a city was done for, and even if it pained her greatly. ’Bonesborough’ was by far worse than New York in the ‘don’t-panic-and-be-safe’ area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has my face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll blast it with fire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She groaned and jumped behind an abandoned cart while throwing plant glyphs towards the pseudo-Grom monsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath before she looked over the cart, and more monsters were gathering around the trap of vines she had just set, and they were still separating into more?!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is a really bad movie!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and looked back to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an explosion and she looked up. Amity was on the roof, blasting fireballs at the monsters that tried to escalate to get her. Luz smiled at that before remembering that the rest of her friends had been trapped inside of Hexside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos is such a third-grade villain…” Luz whispered, getting her cards and standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blasted a few monsters close to her with fire before throwing an ice glyph to the ground, jumping on the growing ice pillar, Luz landed on the same roof as Amity just in time to blast away four monsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Need help?” she asked, dropping a rain of ice needles from where she came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity groaned at her. “How comes you seem to enjoy this?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bad movie situation, sure! But I can’t help it!” Luz said, getting her back against Amity’s. “I’m in a movie situation with a hot girl!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hot?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are literally blasting fire!” Luz replied about to crack into laughs. “Or do you prefer ‘pretty’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I do, thank you!” Amity said, throwing her abomination at a group of monsters and summoned it again. “This is endless!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could always make it stop,” a third voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and looked to the side. Sure enough, the original Grom rose from over the edge of the roof, Belos comfortably on its back. The man’s mask was shining with the fire from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just come where you belong, Luz,” Belos said and Grom lowered him on the roof. “Stop this nonsense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could be as smart as you want to sound and stop it yourself,” she shouted, blasting fire at him, he blocked it with a barrier. “Why are you getting all the people in the isles into this? Is me who you want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos chuckled and shook his head. “But you don’t want to listen to reason, so I’ll deal with you in a more… creative way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Creating panic is not creative!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? But this is what your dear ‘Owl Lady’ would do, I believe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz hated the fact that Eda would probably do something similar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still! You are supposed to protect these people, not attack them!” Luz shouted. “What do you think they’ll think of you now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed at that and snapped his fingers, Grom moved and attacked her, Luz acted by instinct, using an ice glyph to create a shield. She took the whole blow and fell from the roof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity’s voice reached her and when she looked up, she saw her falling, too. “Take my hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz did as she was told and held Amity’s hand, and she saw her make a spell circle with her other hand, before she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Luz had landed on something gooey and almost liquid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s abomination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good thinking,” Luz said with a little laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was on top of her, glaring down. “Can’t you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>, worry me sick?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, this wasn’t my fault!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t you try to-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw over Amity’s shoulder and pushed to the side. “Later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled in the opposite direction and barely avoided a falling minion of Grom, she glared at the thing before looking up at where Belos was looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the best you got?!” She shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos tilted his head and moved his hand, Grom grew new arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t need to look at Amity to know her groan was accompanied by a glare towards her. “You just </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to ask!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m bad at this!” she replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, Luz…” Belos said while Grom and he landed between her and Amity. “You are proving to be lacking in more areas than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped at him. “Ouch! And this is how you want me to go with you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see the relation between that and me pointing out your missteps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You are a sad and really lonely man, you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t hear a reply, instead, Belos got Grom to throw a series of slashes at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dived under two and managed to make a wall of ice to block a third. She dropped a plant glyph and rose over the wall, using the light glyphs to create a series of flashes. She smiled at Belos groan and Grom screech.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Now or never!” S</span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, getting her fire glyph cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to imagine the most powerful spell she had. Trying to remember the feeling of each time she used it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duel during ‘Covention’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The persecution with the demon hunters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The training with Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Her first fight with Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sent all those emotions, all those memories with her magic, and tapped the glyphs with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw the three cards and saw how those transformed into three owls, each one shinning mass of flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go, baby,” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three owls flew directly towards Belos and Grom, the man reacted by summoning his staff and raising a barrier. The crash of the first spell cracked it, the second one broke it and the third one made an explosion that raised a smoke curtain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Luz cheered when landing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was hit by a claw that sent her flying against a building, she crashed against the wall and fell to the ground, coughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tend to celebrate prematurely,” she heard Belos say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the curtain of smoke dispersed, showing her a pretty hurt Grom and a perfectly pristine Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on!” Luz groaned, looking at them. “You don’t take a single hit, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid not,” he replied. “I’m the Emperor, I can’t allow myself to be on the same… level, like others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s just a cheaters talk.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and tried to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing my words won’t reach you, no matter what I say, even if I tried to convince you,” he commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finally getting the situation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m afraid that the one who doesn’t understand their situation is not me. You see, Luz.” He moved aside and allowed her to look past him. “I’m not the one who is not alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s blood froze when she saw what Belos meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was cornered, her abomination hardly holding the Grom minions at bay, and her fireballs were barely taking care of immediate threats. She was sweating and pathing while she retreated at every new attack of the monsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see,” Belos said, “I believe you need to get rid of your… distractions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked back at Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the nightmare got worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grom started to regenerate, too fast, and too grotesque. In a matter of a minute or less, the beast was once again in its threatening form of a black mass and spider legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can help with it,” Belos said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was hit again, and she crashed against another building, the bricks gave in under her and she felt something </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hell, that suit was working wonders if her ribs just cracked and didn’t break!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz coughed a few times and looked up, facing another nightmare-like situation immediately. “Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched the monster cornering Amity to the entrance of another side street and how Grom jumped to attack her; the claw-like limb stretched and turned its ends into blades that were almost closing around the witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn’t throw a new card in time, she couldn’t jump between them, she couldn’t even scream in time for Amity to duck!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t reach her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t warn her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t protect her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw it, glyph cards on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stupid movie plots!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and raised her hand, glaring at it. “Work, this, time, you, stupid, thing!” she shouted, and snapped her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt something shift inside her, pulling out with a motion, just like when she did magic before, the energy was pulled from her, but it was… it was different, the energy didn’t consume itself like charcoal, it just… changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the glyph cards shinned before becoming a huge fire pillar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Belos screamed and Luz stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the flames were out, she saw Amity—beautiful, beautiful, and safe Amity!—in her abomination’s arms, looking back at her with a surprised expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It…It worked!” Luz shouted and rolled away from a new attack. “It worked! It finally worked!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity wasn’t so thrilled. “You almost burned me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? I was trying to save you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You almost killed me while on it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are not dead are you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop this nonsense!” Belos shouted. “Gromitious, capture her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked and jumped throwing a new wave of fire against the monster before dropping plant glyphs while running and stopping at the end of the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know? I thought you’d be harder to avoid!” Luz said, “But this is pretty easy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos raised a hand and all Grom minions turned towards her. “Don’t be so cheeky, brat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…At least he has the vocabulary of a dad,” Luz said with a little laugh. “But I’m sorry, Belos, but I have a really good feeling about disrespecting you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That will never sound good!” Amity’s voice came from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked back and saw a group of minions, she also saw how Amity blasted a few fireballs and then used her abomination as a step, it threw her in the air towards Luz the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and jumped, catching the falling witch and giggling at her before landing and letting her stand on her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are getting pretty good at this,” Luz said, “sure you are not enjoying it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A nightmare battle for the sake of my life and my friends’; how couldn’t I?” Amity replied rolling her eyes and then she looked at Belos. “You sure you have a plan for this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A plan? It’s more of a hunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be OK!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The minions jumped towards them and Luz pulled Amity closer to her, jumping back and spanning her fingers. The monsters were hit from below by growing trees that tore them apart, the immense branches grew until it there was a wall between them and Belos and Grom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t just tell me?!” Amity shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled a little. “I wanted to hug you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed and pulled away, making a new abomination. “Don’t try to be smooth about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are pretty composed-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My life is in danger here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop playing stupid games!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wall Luz made cracked and she tensed, getting out a new set of cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should probably run.” Luz turned towards her... partner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked back at her. “Where to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be the problem…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... For now let’s- let’s just go towards the woods,” Amity said and made her Abomination lift both of them. “We can think of something on the way there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think you can run away from me!” Belos voice came and Luz looked at the wall of threes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t care about a smart reply and got her abomination to start running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As a matter of fact, all the movies about witches getting into horrible unsolvable situations with monsters did have something right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People did tend to be stupid when in a crisis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t punch it!” an elf shouted when they passed next to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there were also the common witches. “Get it off, get it off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity watched how the ‘sub-Grom’ started taking multiple forms for different people, she couldn’t really make out what each of those hallucinations were, but the silhouettes were enough giveaways in some cases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A kid that was afraid of spiders, a girl who clearly feared trash slugs, a grown-up man terrified of puppies. It was something that variated a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was lucky that she wasn’t facing her worst fear like the rest?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come back here you, disrespectful child!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come get me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anciano!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>… Nope, she was pretty sure she was getting the short end of the deal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity ran power through her abomination and got it to speed up, they were leaving the town limits and the trees started to cover them, she looked back just a second, but even that was enough to catch a flash of fire wings and ice spears crashing against the black mass—she couldn’t even describe the stuff!—that carried Emperor Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why do I like the most troublesome witch in the entire ‘Boiling Isles’ history?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, looking back ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just had to start falling for the person who had managed to be the first one </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever,</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get a personal grudge from the most dangerous, powerful, and important witch in all the ‘Boiling Isles’. Her taste was just so bad! She could have gone after Willow! She’d bet that her former best friend wouldn’t be so complicated!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity, watch out!” Luz shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t think much, a boulder was falling in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell happened to the ‘Wisest Witch’ alive?! He’s just throwing stuff at us!” She shouted after </span>
  <em>
    <span>barely </span>
  </em>
  <span>avoiding the boulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed from behind her. “I’d like to know that guy! This one is just a whiny little kid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity wanted to scream, or to laugh, she wasn’t even sure which one at that point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The forest was getting denser and denser, even with Luz attacks the distance between their persecutors and them was getting shorter by the minute, they needed a plan, they needed to move before there was nothing else to do!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But was there anything to be done?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grom was always dealt with inside an arena full of weapons, all the time, the person destroyed it, it just reformed, but it took a whole year! Now that thing wasn’t the only one and it regenerated at a crazy speed! How were Luz and she supposed to kill something that was originally immortal and was now positively impossible to hurt!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t think much about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something got in front of her abomination without giving her time to react, the crash destroyed her spell and launched them forward, down a small hill between the trees. She heard Luz scream at the same time she hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled until she hit something with her side and felt something inside her snap. She screamed and closed her eyes, the burning pain was so damn annoying and it numbed her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity!” Luz’s voice came as a distant sound. “Amity! Are you OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“NO!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought and cracked one eye open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her wound was something minimal against what she saw on Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t far away, she was the one thing she had crashed against. Luz got herself in the middle of Amity and a tree, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>bleeding </span>
  </em>
  <span>again! And that time it was because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>her!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do?!” Amity shouted and moved, and flinched immediately after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like I didn’t save all your ribs…” Luz said and coughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity glared at her before getting closer, she didn’t think she would be using the new healing spell she learned from Viney so soon!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why in hell would you get in the middle?!” Amity asked while making the spell circle. “You are already more hurt than me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at her. “Why would I let you get hurt if I can help it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I don’t want you to get hurt either, </span>
  <em>
    <span>estupida!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Amity said, “don’t you get that just as you don’t want me to get hurt, I don’t want you to get hurt, either?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you lectured me in Spanish…” was Luz’s reply. “Wow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing… just… can you do it again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on out, Luz,” Belos voice came and Amity groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t get out of one problem before another began?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t heal you any more than this,” she whispered and passed the other girl’s arm over her shoulders. “You’ll have to cope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No prob, I’m used to it…” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity pushed up and managed to get Luz to stand, starting to walk deeper into the forest, the sound of Grom closing the distance with them made every step not only hard but also stressful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know…” Luz commented after a while. “I was thinking Grom night would be a nice time for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A nice time?” Amity asked, “Why would you think that? Every time we are alone together something happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not every time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mention only </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>time something bad didn’t happen so far.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…We didn’t have problems last Thursday…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had a test!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you really placing both things on the same level?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed at that and shook her head. “How is this possible…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard something in the distance and her ears perked up, was that…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… is the ocean?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded. “I think we are close to the border of a risk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’d be correct.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t react to Belos voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the hit and the crash against the ground fully that time and she was sure something broke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and faced the night sky, the sound of the waves breaking made her look to the side, and sure enough, there was the sea. She looked to the other side and saw Gromitious moving slowly towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where is Luz?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, trying to sit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was painful, but she managed to get up and saw Luz a few meters away from her. She was already on her knees and throwing fireballs towards Belos and Grom, the attacks getting blocked by the Emperor’s barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hos is she even moving?” Amity whispered, looking at how Luz stood up. “She was even worse than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed herself up and made a new spell circle, the fire formed over her hand, but it got out almost immediately. Her magic was already out?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ran quite a lot,” Emperor Belos said stopping Gromitious a few steps away from them. “But I think you know what I’m about to say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That playtime it’s over?” Luz offered with a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Correct-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, you need to work on your wordplay, you are too boring!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inso-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-Lent child!” Luz finished and Amity chuckled. “See? Nothing new!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos didn’t say anything, but he did move his hands. Amity felt how her movements stopped and a strange pressure covered her. She was getting separated from the ground and her limbs were being held still against her will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you need a little reminder of who I am,” Belos said and snapped his fingers. “But I know you don’t get the messages that… easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave her out of this!” Luz shouted and when Amity looked at her, she found Luz glaring at the man. “She is not part of this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but she is part of it, she made that choice,” The Emperor said and looked at her. “Didn’t you, little witch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity felt her blood freeze when the pressure of the magic was gone, and she fell. Luz’s scream reached her from behind and she turned her body around. Luz had blasted fire—if the smoke coming from her hand was anything to go by—and was falling towards her. Her bag of cards passed next to Amity and she forced her hand to get a handful of papers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was shallowed by Grom, darkness taking over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting into the mass that Grom was right after Amity, should’ve allowed her to reach her; it was pure logic, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, logic didn’t seem to work on that stupid monster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was faced with an endless void and darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity?!” She screamed, but somehow, her voice didn’t go far, it was like she had just thought it. “Amity, where are you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stupid monster!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and got her glyph cards, tapping them and throwing them away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the magic didn’t start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I can’t have you making a mess in here,” Belos voice came from the nothingness. “You are here to learn about something you should remember.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt how her arms got held and she was pulled down, her body froze in its place and something burned from inside her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and she wanted to scream, but her throat wouldn’t let the sound out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I thought you’d get it by now,” Belos voice came again. “You don’t get to talk without me allowing you to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a movement and Luz saw all white in front of her, no white lights, nor snow… she saw a white cape, and then…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Red eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are here to listen, not to talk…” Belos voice came from behind her and the- the thing in front of her started to take form. “Gromitious is such an… interesting being, he can reach inside your mind and summon your deepest fears… but with a little help, he can be much… more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t need to wonder what he meant by that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of her, Luz saw the worst possible thing… she saw herself, the same from the carnival, the same </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>that kept haunting her in her nightmares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the Princess Belos wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greetings, me,” that girl said, “I see you still fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s breath cut at that, the other her held Luz’s cheek and it was just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cold. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her fingers were like claws covered in frost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is no use in fighting like this…” the other Luz whispered, “I know… I used to, but now I see the… light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes were so… so dark, lifeless… soulless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just give in…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pushed the words away how she could, but the pressure in her chest just got worse, like the ‘Princess’ was holding her heart with her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you resist so much?” She asked, “You think you belong? That there is a place </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere </span>
  </em>
  <span>but with father?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He is not-!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought got cut by a rush of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Princess’ smile grew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is, after all, he gave us what we wanted,” she said, “he gave us purpose, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>destiny</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You, I, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> dreamed about having one for so long, and the Emperor, the Titan gave it to us! …So, why aren’t you coming, Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes, her mind was getting all blurry and confusing, just like that time Belos had tried to take her. She concentrated on Eda’s memories, on Willow and Gus’ ones, the troublemakers, Skara, King, Hooty, Lilith…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? You think they care?” The ‘Princess’ asked, mockingly. “You think any of them would want you if they knew what you are? Not only the half and half.” Her hand held Luz’s face again and made her look. “They are in for the lie you sell, they don’t care about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You are wrong, they are my-!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You really think they are... what? Your friends?” The Princess interrupted her thought. “They are not! Don’t you ever learn?! Nobody is going to love you, not even your mother could stand you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw flashes after those words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw every first day in a new school, every disappointed look Camila ever gave her, every bully, every birthday party alone, every night of nightmares, every single heartbreak she had, every time she had to hide, every time she had to lie about herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time she got hurt by being alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody has ever loved </span>
  <em>
    <span>us,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The ‘Princess’ said and she sounded… sad. “And nobody will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Princess’ face twisted, a grotesque smile took a hold of her expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... So we’ll just make them,” she said, “with the power of the Titan… with the will of the Titan we’ll be loved! Don’t you see it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The images in front of her changed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the ‘Princess’ next to Belos, getting shouts and cheers from the people, she saw parades, she saw parties where everyone was there just to see her, to make her… to make her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To make her… </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just give in, Luz… give in and let </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span> be one… let me be real!” The ‘Princess’ said, “Let me be </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved… </span>
  </em>
  <span>after all, you can’t do anything, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s mind was beginning to fade, to disappear in the darkness, the pressure in her chest numbing everything around her…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She… She’s right…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought, her eyes closing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t…I can’t do anything…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You can do everything!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh…? Amity?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no! Ignore that!” the ‘Princess’ shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Don’t make this weird.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Princess held her by the shoulders. “Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>
    <em>“Don’t go fighting monsters without me, or I won’t be able to keep you safe.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>”You are our pal! We like spending time with you!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Thanks, Luz… that’s the nicest thing someone had said about us in a while.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Bark!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are the most creative of us all, I’m sure you’ll get it.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney, Jerbo, Barkus?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are one of my only friends, my family even!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>King?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are so special, Luz, my little light.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>…Camila?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes opened and she was in her childhood home, the first one, the one where she discovered who… what she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Que es lo que pasa conmigo?!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She shouted while a sob got in the middle of her scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She… She remembered that…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked around, the scene playing just like an old movie. The house was the same, the storm outside, the mirror, the necklace… her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is when it all started…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, walking to the small kid crying all alone on the floor. “Here is where I just knew I wouldn’t belong anywhere…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mija!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz jumped at that and turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the doorway was Camila, her mother… her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The woman was soaked, her uniform perfectly ruined with mud and some torn parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t remember that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! What happened, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mija?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Camila asked, leaving her purse on the side and rushing towards the small kid, and stopping at just one step away. “Oh, Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mami!</span>
  </em>
  <span> What… what is wrong with me?!” Little Luz cried, “Why are my… my e-ears…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz studied Camila’s expression. The woman was… scared, worried, shocked…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was also… also relieved?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, it’s nothing bad-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing bad?!” little Luz cut, “I’m a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monstruo! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nobody will be my friend like this! Nobody will ever want to eat with me! I’m going to be alone forever!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Little Luz stood up and ran upstairs. Luz watched the kid go and felt how the ground moved under her feet before she was in her old room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were her memories, right. She couldn’t see what she hadn’t seen… or so she guessed, those things were always confusing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched the kid entering the room, and throwing herself on the bed, crying her lungs out. The room didn’t have anything but the furniture in it, no posters, no photos, not even messy clothes. The place was just as she had received when they moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were never things to fill it with, if she was honest with herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a monster…” little Luz cried, “the books lie… no prince is coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt like her heart was breaking all over again, just like that time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m no Princess,” little Luz whispered, “I’m not Prince either… I’m just the ugly dragon that takes the happy endings away…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes. “I’m just the monster that makes people sad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Little Luz cried until she was half asleep, the memory became blurry, but it stood. Luz looked around the room, why was she there? Why-?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mija</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila’s voice made Luz turn, the woman stood in the doorway with a trail with two cups, Luz saw the necklace on top of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she whispered. “How…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The necklace shinned a bit more and the image became clearer, just as the memory from before. Luz’s eyes grew wider and she stared at the accessory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The magic…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no time for her to wonder about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… my baby,” Camila said and walked inside, placing the trail on the little night table and sitting next to the half-asleep little Luz. “Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw how her mother ran her fingers through little her’s hair and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Camila’s hands were charged with a warmth she had only felt with…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Eda… that warmth was so… comforting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, I know you are so </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I was, too,” Camila said and there were tears in her eyes. “I wish I could give you answers… I wish I could give you all you need, but… I-I can’t, baby, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no soy tan fuerte…</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched the scene play so… slowly, the emotions on it were not only hers. Her eyes traveled to the shining necklace on the trail. Just what was that magic…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I know you are,” Camila said and she smiled through the tears, recapturing Luz’s attention, “you are just so… incredible. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mija</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you are stronger than anyone I know, I’m your mother, but I’m not delusional, you’ve survived so many things since you were born, you are so amazing, even if you are a mystery for me or anyone else… you are a miracle, you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>miracle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Camila bend and felt the kiss the woman gave little Luz on the forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll blow us all away,” Camila whispered, “and there is something I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila’s smile was so… soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’ll find the place where you belong, be it with me or somewhere else, I know you’ll find it,” Camila said, “I know you’ll find people who will love you, who will understand how wonderful you are.” She left out a little laugh. “I’m sure they’ll fall in love with the magnificent, amazing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>magical </span>
  </em>
  <span>girl that my daughter is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz held her chest right over her heart at those words and felt the wet trail on her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was such a cry baby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know your time will come, my baby,” Camila whispered, “and I know you’ll fly farther away than I can even imagine. I may not be in the future with you, but that’s OK, parents aren’t meant to stay forever with their kids… but I want you to know that I’ll always be with you in spirit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila moved and took the necklace from the trail and got it around Luz’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll always love you, my baby,” Camila said, “just as your other parent does, even if I don’t remember them, I can feel the love they shared with me, the love that was able to give me the most precious treasure in the whole world… they loved me so much, I know that… just as I know they’ll love you with all their heart, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila moved and she scooted closer while she laid down next to little Luz, hugging her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are so </span>
  <em>
    <span>special, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz, my little light,” Camila whispered, “never doubt that you’ll be loved. Cause I’ll always do, and I’m sure you’ll find people who will love you just like I do… that you’ll find to people to love just as I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at them for a while, and the light from the necklace became brighter, it turned into a flash in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw what her mother meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Eda, the times they cooked, played, discussed, fought, hugged, cried, slept, all the times Eda stood up for her, she remembered all the words she said to her, the times when Eda was the first one to do things for her, the first one doing something just for her to enjoy it, the first one to recognize her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was the one who gave her a place to belong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw King, the times they wrote, they played, she bathed him, they ran around town, she saving him from himself and his shenanigans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Gus and their discussions over human stuff, their games of cards, the tests of his illusions, the times when they laughed while waiting for Willow outside the Park’s store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the troublemakers and their crazy stuns, along with the graffiti on the room of shortcuts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Skara and their talks, the times they played in the sports field, the times Skara just sang for the hell of it in the free periods without Boscha, and how she blushed around Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Willow and the times they talked, their first encounter, their first fight, when Willow scolded her while she was living in her house, all the hugs they shared, all the stupid stuff they did together, all the times she was there just in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Lilith, and the woman’s smile while talking to her, the funny discussion she had with Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then? Luz saw Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile, she heard her laugh, her voice, she saw her blushing face, she remembered the touch of her hand on hers, the feeling of her lips on her cheek. She saw their first meeting, their first conversation, their first fight, their first understanding, their first fight alongside each other; the first time she noticed the way Amity’s smile makes her heart skip a beat, how her voice was almost musical to her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she remembered how Amity had been next to her, by </span>
  <em>
    <span>her side</span>
  </em>
  <span> in every fight she could, how the girl just kept appearing when Luz needed a reason to be brave, a reason to be strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw all those people standing in front of her, Amity and Eda both in front of the group and extending their hands towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she feels another hand, one on her back, pushing her to the front, and then she heard Camila’s- her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, baby, fly further away than nobody has ever gone… find where you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be, and fight for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare!” The ‘Princess’ voice came to her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was back in the darkness, back in chains and with the ‘Princess’ on her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not to be loved!” the ‘Princess’ shouted. “We are meant to be with Belos! We are meant to be on top of these witches! We are supposed to follow our </span>
  <em>
    <span>destiny! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>you!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at ‘Princes’… and she shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and glared at the other girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pressure was horrible, the darkness so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cold.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But she wasn’t stopping anymore because of it. Something inside her was burning, but not like the painful magic she couldn’t control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, it was warm, it was nice… welcoming, familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving her lips was as hard as trying to lift the triple of her weight with one arm, but she pushed against that resistance without looking away from ‘Princess’ red eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… will… never… become… you…” Luz finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reflection in front of her stared before that stare turned into a glare, just so the next second it transformed into a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Princess’ leaned closer to her and placed her lips on her ear. “We’ll see about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She vanished, leaving Luz alone, the words burning in her mind, and something inside her started to grow, covering the flaming warmth until it was pressing against her lungs and her heart, overpowering the sensation from before, making breathing hard, her pulse horrible and just thinking was painful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was… she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a dread that escalated from the bottom of her stomach to the beginning of her throat and stopped there. Leaving her in the middle of that darkness, without any kind of light, sound, smell, or…or… </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Just the fear… she could only feel the oppressing sensation of dread in her chest and neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t just that it crept and took her over as it would usually do, no... the dread didn’t escalate, it just… stayed, letting her mind run over what she saw, what she heard, building up a nightmare for her… with Luz making herself </span>
  <em>
    <span>fear.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt how slowly but surely the fear took a hold of her being, how her breathing started to feel more like a gift and less like a need, every single motion of her body was in a way more and more worrying, she couldn’t move her hands without shaking, breath without wanting to cry or even think without her mind remind her of the worst possible outcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was afraid, no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified</span>
  </em>
  <span> more than she had ever been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it…” she managed to let out, but her voice was small, too small.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The darkness kept building its home inside her, the oppressing sensation settling like an old friend inside her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn… why are you resisting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is your future…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want this kind of future…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those words were enough for her to stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not… her choice?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t you dare to say that!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and her eyes snapped open. “Not my choice?! It’s my life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Destiny chooses you, nor the other way around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s just plain stupid!” she screamed and the darkness inside her became smaller, the warm sensation from before coming back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is what it is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Escuchame bien pedazo de imbecil!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My life, my rules!” Luz shouted and got her hand to move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t letting that idiot take control of her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reached her glyph cards, her rage blazing through her skin, the darkness from before gone and the sensation her memories had left her, the feeling her mother had once given her was now burning through her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t giving up there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t let you choose for me what my future is! I’ll make my own destiny!” She screamed and raised her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes looked through her cards, and something different happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw lines of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly the paths of shining lines fused the glyphs, she saw a turquoise line mixing her ice and plant glyphs, along with an orange chain-like link between the light and fire ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“It matters more how you use your spells than how many of them you have.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Mixing magic is about imagination and affinity.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You are the most creative of all of us, I’m sure you’ll get it!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“…So this is it?” Luz whispered, taking her plant and ice glyph cards while grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think you’re doing? This space… This is the power of the isles, my power to wield!” Belos shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, there is where you are wrong,” she replied, looking up. “I’m about to show you the real power of the isles, you butt-face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz then touched both glyphs, and then overlapped them, she felt something different in the spell formation, like a fight that turned into harmony in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I’ve heard of spells becoming stronger with voice, but well, people who do that only… like, hear them in their heads.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hope you are right Skara!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, and threw the cards. “From frozen echoes to lights made of frost, under a veil of light born from the moon, let a new power now bloom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cards devoured one another, and instead of the spell circle or the mass of light she was used to seeing, there was a little explosion. The spot in the air shook and from nothingness, Luz saw the most amazing thing she had seen so far in the isles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roses, white and blue roses growing from frost on the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this?!” Belos voice cut through the void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz’s grin grew wider. “This is my magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The roses grew bigger, their stems longer and thicker, and from them, the thorns started to stab the ‘endless’ darkness. Luz smiled and jumped on one of the roses, the cold was overwhelming, but she wasn’t suffering from it. The magic in the spell, the emotions running through it were hers, her own persona resonating with the magic around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the real nature of wild magic!” Luz shouted, and she finally caught the red dots in the endless dark. “This is the magic you fear, the magic you ostracized, and the magic that will. Take. You. Down!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get so cocky!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just getting started!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt the roses reacting to her will, and how they pushed her upwards, she crashed against something, ice thorns pierce it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw the stars, along with Belos’ silhouette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a slave of those stupid illusions anymore,” Luz said with a smile. “Are you ready to fight, old man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was so… cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a… nostalgic feeling. She still remembered, how the world used to feel before Luz, before making the passes with Willow… before accepting how lonely her life was without the plant witch and how colorless it was without Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just… being, not living, and that’s how she felt in that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked, and she saw the halls of Hexside, she looked down, and she was dressed in her uniform, around her were all that people, but she couldn’t make out a single face, nor distinguish a single voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they talked, and they were loud!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What’s this…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all the movement stopped, all the heads turned towards her, faceless people stared at her with dark spirals where their eyes should’ve been. She looked back at one, and the thing didn’t move, it just… stayed there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity took a step, and then another, and another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was running before even realizing what she was doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voices had stopped, she could only hear the echoes of her shoes against the ground, her breathing was on her ears and her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she thought it could just explode from a second to the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it…” she whispered, crashing against her locker’s door. “Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed at that voice and turned, there was Willow, her face was there, but she was… expressionless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop what? Amity?” Willow asked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Amity couldn’t find her voice, the stare the other girl was sending her made it impossible to even trying to find the words in her mind, just trying </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt </span>
  </em>
  <span>so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop what?” She asked again, “The stares, the silence, the attention? What, Amity?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity tensed and looked down, something inside her was just so heavy, it made breathing hard, painful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never forgive you, not really,” Willow whispered, “and you’ll never stop being what you are… a traitor, a monster… a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blight.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eye snapped open and she raised her head, just to find an empty spot where Willow used to stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This can’t be true…” she whispered, her voice cracking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A new voice, one that she knew all too well talked back. “What can’t be true, thou? This seems to have more sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up and found Luz in her common clothes; she was frowning and looking away from her, Amity felt a rush of happiness at the sight of the brunette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I’m so glad to see you!” She said, walking towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luz scoffed. “Yeah, right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop the play pretends, Blight,” she said, looking at her. “I know this is all some kind of funny situation to you! But I’m not a game!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Luz, what is wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All with you is wrong!” She shouted and stepped closer, Amity stepped back. “You making us hide because of what people might say, you acting like you don’t know me when I try and just try to keep myself in check for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gaped and looked down. It was true that she and Luz still met in secret, but Luz always understood that it was for her safety so that she wouldn’t be dragged into the mess her family was, in the mess Amity was!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz already had enough on her plate!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t even reply to my invitation to Grom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s sunk a little more… when it clicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grom…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head started to hurt; she held it and looked around, the scene starting to shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had accepted Luz’s invitation; she had been called Grom queen! She had danced with Luz, talked with Willow and Boscha…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And…And then…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grom broke loose,” she whispered and looked up. “With Belos’ help…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you even blabbering about when I’m breaking up with you?!” ‘Luz’ asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked up and shook her head. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired </span>
  </em>
  <span>of being your secret!” She screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit her lip, that wasn’t Luz, that wasn’t her Luz!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired of having to hide! Of having to stand Boscha moving all over the place like she owns you or like she is better than me!” The thing shouted and held her face, making her look at Luz’s eyes—the illusion of those—filled with tears. “I’m so into you that it’s killing me… but I have limits, I won’t wait forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook herself from the thing’s grip and glared at it. “You are not Luz! And that’s not how things are between us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped and avoided a hit from a spider-like limb that ended on a claw. The illusion Luz smiled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… but what I said is the truth, isn’t it?” she asked, “You do hide… you do lie, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity froze at those words, Gromitious shook a little and Amity steeled herself for a new attack. The thing disguised as Luz grinned at her and took a step close, and then another one, and another one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get any closer…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or…What? Are you perhaps going to attack me?  Your, little, beautiful, Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not her,” Amity said while casting a fireball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” It asked, stopping right in front of her. “I could be… Belos magic gave Gromitious such an incredible power… power over the mind, over fear…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity clenched her jaw, glaring at the thing, those were Luz’s face and voice, but that couldn’t be Luz! Luz wasn’t that smooth, nor dark, not gloomy! No, Luz was bright, cheerful, nice, kind…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not her,” Amity finally said, “Luz… </span>
  <em>
    <span>my Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span> is not someone you could control.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature’s grin died at that moment and Amity feared the expression that it showed then. Her eyes looked down at its hands, there she saw it, no normal limbs, but long and dark claws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, I guess we don’t have anything else to talk about…” It said and it got a long razor-sharp claw to its lips, kissing it while its eyes turned shinning red. “No, more, games, </span>
  <em>
    <span>superstar.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How come you know an alchemist?” Lilith asked, “And how is that he is so helpless?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn laughed. “He is really skilled!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say he isn’t! And that’s what’s worrying me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith spun over herself and avoided a new swarm of Grom minions. Edalyn had explained the situation, but she hadn’t believed it until the first horrid thing had jumped in front of her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why in the name of Titan would he go and do something like this?!” Lilith shouted, blasting a few dozens of those away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He would say it was just because of that!” Edalyn replied, “Now move it! We gotta find Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith heard another person talk at that moment. “You are not doing such a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tide of monsters rose in front of them and she heard Edalyn curse—in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>creative</span>
  </em>
  <span> way—before she blasted a hole in the mass, allowing them to pass through it. Lilith looked back at the black mass, it was reforming already, but her eyes went to the top of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she groaned. “Really?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily?! What’s going on?!” Edalyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A problem that keeps bugging me on the side,” Lilith replied when she flew closer to her sister. “And it seems to still be in love with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not an accurate description for me, Lilith,” the third person there said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith scoffed. “Really? Kikimora, I believe there is no better description.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>kikimora moved her head and glared at her, her dress shinned under the moonlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are still acting recklessly and stupidly,” Kikimora said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you still linger after my butt,” Lilith replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Edalyn gasp and laugh. “Lily!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Lilith asked, looking at her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think this of you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Neither did I,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Lilith thought before looking back at Kikimora. “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora shook her head and looked at her, she moved her hand and a red stone appeared on it, she snapped the fingers on her other hand and the copies of Grom started to move, circling the sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here, by order of the Emperor,” Kikimora responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The old fart couldn’t just stay still? He already threw us into prison!” Edalyn shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, you broke out,” Kikimora said, “the strongest Clawthorne.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn blinked and smiled, Lilith rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’m here to stop you,” the demon said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, she thinks she can stop us, funny don’t you think Lilith?” Edalyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at her sister and then around. Kikimora couldn’t stop them, but the time wasn’t on their side if Belos was really going to try to take Lucelyn away, the girl had power, but she was still hurt—even if not physically, emotionally—and inexperienced, she needed help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed her mom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got this, Edalyn,” Lilith said and landed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything else and canalized her magic on her staff, sending it like a missile towards the monsters, destroying half of them in a single explosion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, what the hell?!” Edalyn shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to go to Lucelyn!” she replied, “I’ll handle Kikimora!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! But-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go!” she interrupted her sister’s reply. “I can handle her! Now go and be a mother, will you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn stared at her before a grin cracked on her lips. “I’m a mom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched her sister fly and a mass of monsters started to follow her, Lilith made a new spell circle. Her sister might have more power than her, but she was craftier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her spell blasted and took out a third of the mass and then turned around in the middle of the air, taking out another amount and exploding after it, destroying the totality of the mass of creatures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think that was wise?” Kikimora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and looked back at the demon and made a spell circle, raising the ground under her and getting her at the same height as Kikimora.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure anymore, but it’s not like I really care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are becoming like your sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled. “That’s a compliment coming from you, after all, didn’t you call her the ‘strongest Clawthorne’ just a moment ago?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon woman glared at her and made a new mass of monsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos gave you a way to control his disaster?” Lilith asked, “Not common of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor is demonstrating his confidence in his highest-ranking officer,” Kikimora said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which you are because I was a traitor,” she replied, “how does it feel to get the position by discard and not merit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora growled at her. “You are a-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now Kikimora, language, you always prided yourself on it,” Lilith said, and made her staff appear again, spinning it. “Tell me, are you ready to try to beat me fair and square?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora moved her hand and a new swarm of those monsters jumped at her. “You really think you can beat me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smirked and blasted a wave of magic, it took the shape of a raven and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>obliterated </span>
  </em>
  <span>the swarm of Grom minions that was coming at her. Kikimora stared at her when the mass of magic didn’t disappear and took a place behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I?” she asked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity dived under Grom’s attack. She was now in the middle of the duel arena. Luz was glaring at her and every time she moved, a new limb attacked her from out of nowhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” Grom said, “Move on! Fight more!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity groaned and made a spell circle, a fireball appeared on her hand. “I already killed you once tonight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, when you broke my heart!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not Luz!” she shouted and threw the fireball, Grom avoided it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you still can’t defeat me, just like you couldn’t with her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit back her response and made a new spell, her abomination rose from behind Grom and held it. The creature fought it, but couldn’t break loose. Amity smiled and summoned another fireball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Second time, stupid!” she shouted and blasted the fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her abomination melted over illusion Luz and the fire hit right after it, the flames consuming it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and leaned on her knees. She was running low on magic, and stamina in general. She looked at where the illusion Luz was burning and grimaced. She would never find the idea of burning Luz—or something that looked like her—acceptable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… is it over?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a laugh. “Oh… far from it, you little ungrateful child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed and the ground under her disappeared, she fell for two, maybe four seconds before she found herself on the rug of her house. The walls of the mansion were all dark and hardly recognizable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the figure in front of her was unmistakable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mother…” Amity muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reign figure of Mrs. Blight stood there, her fancy dress and perfect hair along with her perfect make-up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The perfect picture of how perfect she had to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little impertinent… look at the mess you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked and looked down, she wasn’t in her uniform, she wasn’t even in her </span>
  <em>
    <span>body, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but in her younger self’s one. Her clothes were covered in sand and seagull debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You went to play with Willow again? I’ve told you that she is not good for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity wanted to scream, but her voice came out as a whisper. “She is my best friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is a nuisance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She cares for me-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not to be trusted!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity Blight, you are to relate with a selected few, not with a Willow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed and looked down, her rage was competing with something else inside her. She wanted to scream and attack that damn illusion, but her legs were glued to the ground, her arms stiff on her sides.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was going on with her?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to cease at once!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head. “No, she is my friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to stop hanging out with Willow!” She shouted and turned. “You can’t make me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was she looking away again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but I will!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, Amity!” the projection said and Amity felt a hand on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was forced to spin around and she landed on a stone floor when she fell, her hands hurt and she looked around, she was back on Hexside, her uniform was grey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Mittens! You are gonna be late!” That was Emira’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t want to go there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have to,” that was Edric, “you gotta choose a track.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Mom is already making me go into Abomination’s track! Why do I have to go to the selection part?!” Amity cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Willow is going to be there?” her siblings say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit her lip and looked down. “I’m not friends with Willow anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mittens, this is Hexside! Mom can’t control your friends here!” Edric said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She can, she made sure I know of that!” She cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emira scoffed. “You are just scared, but OK, don’t do anything, that’s all you are good for anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked and looked up, Emira wasn’t looking at her, she turned towards Edric and he was smiling, before that expression turned into a glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you like this?” he asked, “Why are you always spoiling the fun? Always running away from things? What a disappointment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What?” Amity whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe we are related to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity watched them walk away, and she tried to get up, to go after them, but she couldn’t move, she couldn’t even try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have the strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a hit on her side and when she looked up, she was surrounded by Willow, Boscha, Skara, and her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you be an </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual </span>
  </em>
  <span>Banshee?” Boscha shouted. “Why can’t you just be what people expected you to be, why are you even here if you can’t do that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t stop her words. “But aren’t we friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had asked that when Boscha took over her position as Banshee’s captain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I won’t be friends with a loser!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara followed close behind that. “I won’t relate with someone like you, you don’t stand for anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Skara!” Amity felt like crying. “I thought we could be…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Buddies? I would never be your friend!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was your friend,” Willow said, and Amity froze, her throat closed in a tight knot. “And you pushed me away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Willow-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t ever forgive you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity couldn’t say anything else after that. The darkness came over her and she was… alone, drowning in her own tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was always crying, always looking out for someone to look at her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To see </span>
  <em>
    <span>her, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but nobody ever did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her siblings wanted a fun sister, her friends wanted the perfect Blight, Willow wanted a brave friend that could stand up with her… and she couldn’t be that, she couldn’t be something more than she was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be more than Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you get it? Nobody wants </span>
  <em>
    <span>Amity</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” her mother said, she was the only one left. “They want what I can make out of you… they want perfection, they want a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blight.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity closed her eyes; she didn’t want to hear it, she didn’t want to face that again! She didn’t want to be alone again! She couldn’t!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be alone! She wanted to get out of there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t try to be something she was not! She wanted to stop hearing their voices!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t become what her mother wanted! She wanted to be herself!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t-! She…She couldn’t give her heart up away again…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-Somebody… please…” she cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mother’s voice came at her. “You are a Blight, act like one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit her lip to try to muzzle her cries, she couldn’t cry, she shouldn’t cry… she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>cry!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was alone, as she was supposed to be… as she should always be-</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Hi, I’m Willows friend, my name’s Luz.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s eyes snapped open, but she didn’t raise her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“... How did I forget…?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, getting her hand to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“We just… we had a fight, and I couldn’t stay there anymore…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, a stupid grin forming on her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I want to be your friend! That's not a lie, and I never wanted to hurt you!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That idiot…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to surrender? Finally going to accept who you are?!” The projection of her mother asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and looked up. “Shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“So Amity, reading to kids? Looks Like this sour lemon drop has a sweet center.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t talk to me like that, you little impertinent!” the monster said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just shut up,” Amity answered, her smile growing a bit more. “You are so annoying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, little stupid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“But what are you talking about, Amity? This night never happened, right?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you have something better to say?” Amity asked, “I’m tired of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you acting so confident, huh?! Nothing has changed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s where you are wrong,” she replied with ease.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I really like your laugh, Amity…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think you are going to do?! Think you can defy me!” the projection said and raised its hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blocked the thing with a spell circle, making an abomination rise and intercepting the attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Are you saying you don’t like the sound of my voice?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it, would you?” Amity groaned. “Don’t you get it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-Get it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Get me to Hexside like this.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your tricks won’t work anymore!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grom’s space shook. “What?! Are you telling me you aren’t afraid?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No, I’m afraid,” Amity said, “I’m terrified, but I won’t stop because of it anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? And why is that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled. “Because now I have something I want… not only an idea, but something I know I want… something I’ll fight for.” She took a step ahead. “Something nobody, not even my mother will take away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I grew up with my mom speaking it, so I’m pretty much fluent myself.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what is that you want?!” that projection shouted. “What do you think is worth your fear?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted… Titan, it was so easy…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You never talk enough… at least for me…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are selfish, girl!” The projection of her mother screamed, almost desperately. “What do you think you can do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could she do? She didn’t know, and being honest she didn’t care!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity just knew one thing. “I want to see Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a Blight! You own your life to the family!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to see Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a responsibility! A legacy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to see Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have to listen to me! I’m all you ever needed, I’m the one who gives you all!” The projection held her face and forced her to look up. “I’m all you have to follow, all you have to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I know you can beat Grom! And you better do it fast so we can dance!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>But the monster stopped its screaming at the moment Amity looked at it. She could see the reflection in that thing’s golden eyes. She saw herself, not scared, not trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was firm and… </span>
  <em>
    <span>smiling.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not you; mother,” Amity said, “and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I want to see Luz</span>
  </em>
  <span>, nothing else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The monster’s face denigrated in rage, it seemed ready to attack her, but when it raised its hand. It just…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vaporized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity saw the ash-like dust fly away in the dark place—she didn’t get how that happened neither—and felt the pressure vanishing from her surroundings. She sighed, and fell to her knees while her thoughts started going back and forth with a speed that just made her nauseous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had won; she hadn’t let the fear control her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it…” Amity whispered, getting her hand to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes, the darkness already not threatening her, the silence no longer oppressive. Amity could hear her own heart, thoughts, breathing… She could be with herself again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really… really went all that way just to admit that?” Amity said, and started to laugh. “I’m a mess because of you, Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and looked up, the endless void was cold, but she didn’t feel it anymore, there was something warm in her chest, something pounding, strongly, slowly but surely making its way through all her body and pushing the cold away. Amity had always liked the cold, but at that very moment, that warm feeling was more bliss than anything in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, not sadly, but dreamingly, and one face came to her mind, a face with cinnamon skin, auburn hair, and childish smiles with the most beautiful copper eyes in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, closing her eyes and cherishing the image. “I want to see you… so hurry up, dumbass. I know you’ll come… but seriously… hurry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you see this is foolish?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not known for letting that stop me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz spun over herself and landed behind Belos, their little flight battle ended in the head of the buffed Gromitious. Luz got three glyphs and powered them before throwing them at him. Belos moved his hand, Grom reacted by rising a tentacle-like mass that got burned, frozen, and then torn apart by a tree branch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your tricks can’t hit me, daughter…” Belos said, the papers Luz had lost in the air falling slowly around him. “Just like before, I overpower you, and I have the control, let me guide you into the Titan’s will this time, you have no choice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked. “Ya sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snapped her fingers and the papers became magic, all coming from all directions. Belos protected himself from most, but Luz saw a fireball hit him, burning his cape, and after that, he got inside an ice block.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her glory didn’t last long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a shiver, Belos broke through the ice, and while his demeanor remained the same, Luz saw the slight limp when he landed back on Grom’s back. Se hurt him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is ridiculous!” He said, “You should be thankfully coming with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Has that line ever worked? I bet your dating is awful, how did you even manage to get my mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her jab got her a hit from a tentacle and grounded her. Belos walked slowly towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll need some reeducation, I see…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed. “Sorry, I’m a bad learner on the ‘being a doll’ department,” she shouted, spinning over herself and throwing new paper glyphs at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a good teacher, nonetheless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t activate her glyphs, her hands had moved and the mass Grom was now holding her. Luz glared at the thing before she turned to the front, Belos was inches away from her now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you resist? I can sense it, you want the magic, the glory…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…A part of me is still thrilled to be a princess, yes, Grom made that pretty clear,” Luz said, “but I’m not giving up who I am for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know who you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I do.” She smiled. “I’m Luz Noceda, Lucelyn Clawthorne, a wandering witch… and the one who will escape you twice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snapped her fingers then, closing her eyes, the top bottom of her shirt began to shine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So much work had paid off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Belos scream and opened her eyes to see him stumbling backward, she freed her hand and snapped her fingers again, the glyphs from before shined and made frozen three branches grow, piercing his tunic and covering him in frost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at the sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was trapped in a mixture of thick woods and ice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little…” he growled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked. “Now that’s an emotion I’ve seen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos eyes shined in red, a powerful shockwave hit her, throwing her from Grom’s back and to the ground, her glyph cards flew out of her reach in the fall. She looked up, Belos was hardly breathing, not saying anything of how he managed to stay standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s face twisted with worry. “You can’t just admit you lost one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never admit defeat against a spoiled child,” he replied, “you are not as strong as before, are you? Haven’t you wondered why the isles are not blessing you anymore?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know of your seal, if that’s what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her response seemed to take him by surprise if his silence was any sign.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We learned about it a few days back.” She continued, circling Grom’s figure. “You sealed my link with the isles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You thought you were smart, I guess. By sealing my magic and trying to catch me, you probably planned to ‘bring my powers back’ and get me in debt to you, but sad enough, my mom and I are friends with someone much older and wiser than you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos coughed, Luz’s smile grew wider.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sealed my magic away that time, when you destroyed my bracelet, before Eda found us, before you could do anything else, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response, but Luz knew it by the way he flinched.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So easy to read,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought. “And I was wondering, why? Why would you do something like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To secure you’ll see the right way!” He said, maybe a bit too fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head. “No, it wasn’t that… I wasn’t sure what the reason was, but after tonight, after seeing you with Grom… I finally get it!” Luz stopped moving. “You are scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are scared, of me,” she clarified, “you are scare because you know that if this seal breaks before you trap me, I’ll be the only one in the entire ‘Boiling Isles’ that could hit you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard, that you won’t get back up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense,” he said, raising a hand. “You are just delirious for being around those common peasants!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I now?” Luz pushed more. “Then why are you so scared of my </span>
  <em>
    <span>simple delusional </span>
  </em>
  <span>words? Why do you want me that bad, if not for power?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know? You actually helped me.” Luz moved her foot. “With the seal, I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed. “Help you? By sealing away your power?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sealed my connection, but not my power, or my knowledge,” Luz replied. “You took away a burden from my shoulders. Now I can control magic because I don’t have that huge reserve of power always trying to go out…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense!” Belos shouted, “How could anyone be happy with less power?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled. “I’m less powerful, yeah. But have you forgotten who my mom is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My mom is Edalyn Clawthorne! The most powerful witch in the ‘Boiling Isles’! She had taught me all I need, and is thanks to her that I can say this!” Luz pointed at him. “You may have made me less powerful, but you didn’t make me weaker! Now I have learned other ways to use my spells, I had gained experience, I have people to protect from you and everybody else!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled as sweetly as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a home to go back to. And nobody, not even you and your ‘Titan’ are getting in my way,” she finished, “now, eat this sucka!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz kicked her side bag with all her remaining glyph cards and snapped her fingers. The combination of all her spells blasted towards Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos glared at her, placing a barrier. “Insolent-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Finally!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, seeing the man bending over, his barrier taking a direct hit from all her magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y…Y-You haven’t won, Luz!” Belos screamed, “I’ll be back… for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll be waiting,” Luz said, the barrier cracking. “Goodbye, Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw the man move a hand before vanishing into nothingness. She also saw all the power of her spells finally breaking through the barrier… hitting the new Gromitious on the side, pulverizing everything on the way of the mass of pure magic, the explosion shook her and almost made her sit when she landed back on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz almost looked away, but she was so glad she didn’t. A flash of teal hair captured her sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Amity, falling from the side of Grom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran with all she got, passing by the rest of the ice and burned trees. She jumped when she was under the falling girl, just barely catching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity opened her eyes while Luz fell back to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’ll come…” Amity whispered, hugging her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz didn’t know what to say, her heart wasn’t running wild! She wasn’t accepting Eda’s, sure to come later, mock!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, her little debate didn’t last long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up and hugged Amity, rolling. “Watch out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her scream was followed by the hit of a lifetime against the ground. Her cracked rib probably broke, and she rolled over herself until she hit one of the remains of her last spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was gonna leave a scar… along with lots of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity…” Luz whispered, sitting up. “Are you OK?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other girl looked at her in the eyes, and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>OK! Luz’s heart did rush that time, no point in negating the obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m OK, Luz…” Amity whispered and sighed, making a spell circle, “I knew you’ll come back for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt how her middle started to recover a little, and left out a little sigh of pleasure at the soothing sensation. Maybe, just maybe she wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurt? Her rib shouldn’t be broken if the pain stopped, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at Amity and her mouth moved before her brain could process it. “I’m always coming back for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz leaned closer to Amity, the other witch’s smile faded a little, and their eyes met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… And there was a roar, and the moment was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked back. Grom was weakened, but not done. She was out of glyphs, almost out of strength, and pretty sure that that thing now had personal issues with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many times do we have to kill that thing…?” Luz whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed and stopped her spell while she stood up, her dress was messed up, but oddly enough, Luz found the little ragged and stained mark in the once perfect outfit a bit more appealing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz,” Amity said, extending a hand to her. “May I have this dance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared up before letting out a small laugh, her ribs pained her, but she could fight with the adrenaline in her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity had healed the most important part… right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took Amity’s hand after just one second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I must warn you,” Luz said once she was back on her feet. “I’m not sure to be the best dance partner right now. I’m out of glyphs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like these?” Amity asked, showing her five glyph papers with the plant glyph on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You dropped them before that thing ate me,” Amity said giving them to her. “I don’t know how to use them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s smile got bigger. “Could teach ya… and, are you sure our magic is compatible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I’m sure we are compatible alright,” Amity said looking at her and smirking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I thought you needed to be on synchrony with the other person-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe some other time we can discuss this,” Amity interrupted, “right now, I want my dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, and dance they did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved in perfect sync with Amity, avoiding the blasts from the changing extremities, both of them barely looking away from each other eyes. Luz couldn’t stop smiling during it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt something pulling inside her when she leaned, her body balancing from on top of the abomination Amity has just made and her free hand placing the glyph on the forehead of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt how the magic around her moved… easily, even… happier?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The abomination jumped ahead, and Luz jumped up with Amity, pushing her higher, Luz watched the abomination fly in the mouth of Grom before she spun. Sticking the landing and looking up, getting her arms out, she caught Amity’s fall and spun around once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>grand finale</span>
  </em>
  <span> made something inside her swift, and Luz felt the rush of magic, just for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ended looking at Amity in the eyes, the light of an explosion coming from behind them and the boom making all silent. But in Luz’s ears, only the subtle vibration of hers and Amity’s breathing remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved first, getting closer to Amity and hugging her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!” Amity asked in a yelp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I’ll lose you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s body went stiff… and then she was hugging her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’ll go back for me…” Amity whispered in her ear. “I wanted to see you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pulled away and looked at the girl’s face, the moonlight shining over them just made the scene all that more… heh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>magical.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t think about anything else when she leaned and kissed Amity… on the cheek, maybe a bit too close to her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha…What was that?!” Amity shouted, getting away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s face heated up so fast that the drowsiness almost got her back to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I-I’m sorry!” Luz said, looking down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What the hell Noceda!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, covering her face. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Lo siento tanto</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Amity I swear, I… I didn’t know what I was thinking, I wasn’t thinking probably, and I just grossed you out and you think I’m just a girl kisser with no shame-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand covered her mouth and Luz looked at it before looking to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was Amity, perfect Amity. Amity who had just been the smoothest person in the world… Kissing her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, it was over her hand, but it was right over her mouth and that didn’t change the fact Luz just had a mini heart attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Amity pulled away, she was blushing so much that a tomato would’ve been pale in comparison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>gross </span>
  </em>
  <span>me, idiot.” Amity looked away. “You just took me by surprise…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes went wide and she tried to hold Amity’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shout got Amity to get away from her as if Luz would burn her and she turned to see Eda, King, Gus, and Willow—plus all the people from the dance—running towards them and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that giant </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sakura </span>
  </em>
  <span>tree there before?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s head felt suddenly heavier and she looked at Amity a crown had appeared on her head, Luz reached her forehead and felt the gems and metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got a crown too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And there you have it, folks!” King shouted through the microphone, “After a horrible night, after a big out war on town and after we thought everything was lost, we are saved by our Grom royalty, not one, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>two </span>
  </em>
  <span>queens rose tonight! Give a big hand to our Grom queens, Luz and Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t remember most of the night after that. Just that Eda and Viney lectured her while healing her—miraculously not broken—ribs and closed most of her cuts, the fact that Gus, Willow, Jerbo, Barkus, Edric, Emira, Boscha, and even Skara took photos with Amity and her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all that time she spent dancing with Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t kiss her again, nor did they talk about it. But Luz didn’t sleep that night with her mind being chased by the phantom sensations left on her lips, and the after image of Amity’s smile under the moonlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night she didn’t use the potion from Morton, her dreams promised to be good anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched Luz sleep before walking out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grom has ended up being worse than she had imagined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From going around town trying to find Luz, to having to witness her sister in chains and malnutrition, Eda was positive for a night of sleep that would take her away from all her problems… but it couldn’t be that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos had played dirty before, but that time? He crossed a line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Using an ancient evil, putting all the isles in danger, and trying to just straight-up control Luz had proven that they were outgunned, outmanned, and utterly outplayed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hell, they weren’t even playing the same </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>game!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I gotta step up…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, opening the door to her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Lilith sleeping on a small nest of sheets and pillows next to the window and smiled a little before walking to the small balcony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned over the plants and got out a small bag, opening it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are getting back at him, Luz,” she whispered, raising the open bag. “He is going to learn not to mess with the Clawthorne family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she smiled, the dim moonlight shining over the platinum necklace, and the small engraved orange gemstone attached to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched the stone shine and cocked her head to the side. “Why is this thing activating now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And we wrapped up Grom!!!</p><p>So? What did you ppl think?! I know the last two chapters had been setting for this moment!<br/>Sorry for the battle scenes, I've been trying to correct them multiple times, but I couldn't find my usual buddy who helped me to write them, so I kind of winged it.<br/>You saw the slither beast blood in play! Also, the Basilisk played a part too. <br/>And you dear reader who asked for more evil Luz, what did you think?<br/>Now, in this AU Camila seemed like an absent parent, I hope this cleared the thing with her character.<br/>Oh, Luz with layers and layers... but she is getting to the good stuff! Same as Amity!<br/>I did push them, thou... sorry not sorry!<br/>For those who guessed it right away, congrats, and for those who didn't, I'll explain now!<br/>What? <br/>The fusion magic Luz used, of course! It's based on the Blue Rose blade from SAO: Underworld<br/>I really love the concept of an ice rose... also, Luz kinda already fused light and fire, so the remains matched up quite nicely, didn't they?<br/>Regarding other things.<br/>Eda and Lilith bonding and Lilith beating Kikimora<br/>Yeah, I know I didn't picture the dates all that much, but being honest they didn't quite fit in the chapter overall... it would end up being filler and an unnecessary overwriting from my part.<br/>but If you really want to read it, please say it in the comments!<br/>I didn't write the dance scene because I never had words to describe something so beautiful.<br/>The flashback, the flashback. Who felt pain there? I did write it and almost cried, mothers are important, like, hella important.<br/>Welp, we are really getting closer to the end... but we are not there yet, so we'll be reading each other for a while more!<br/>Hope you liked the chapter, please do tell me what you thought and we'll be reading each other next week with, arguably, one of the funniest and more relatable chapters in the cannon!<br/>With all said and done, I bid you farewell my dear and appreciated readers!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. When All It's Said And Done</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grom rush is over, the life comes back to normal.</p><p>But... not.</p><p>Luz is dealing with the aftermath of Belos coming, Amity is no longer capable of being in the dark, and Willow, Gus, Skara, Boscha, and others finally have to face the normality that had come after all the crashes that they had lately.</p><p>Will they be OK?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This week has been hard on my life-style</p><p>I didn't have internet for the whole five days, I barely edited this chapter and managed to make art with just flat coloring, so... sorry for that.</p><p>The editing, as I said, is a bit on the rough side, sorry for that again, but I still hope you people can enjoy the chapter.</p><p>Now, now, after Grom, we are due some relief, right?</p><p>Not really, but well, you'll see later on what I mean.</p><p>Thanks to all the people who is reading this and had been reading from early on, you are the ones that keep pushing me to continue the development of new projects and to finish this one, I hope you are enjoying this world as much as I am.</p><p>I have other things to say, but I'll leave them for the endnotes, and I'll just say.</p><p>Hope you enjoy the read!</p><p>Playlist: Treat Myself - Victoria Justice / Best friend brother - victoria Justice (Victorious soundtrack) / So I don't let me down - Clinton Kane</p><p>Disclaimer: The Owl House and Its characters don't belong to me and this story is made with the sole purpose of entertaining the readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Only fools rush in love, but at the very same time, there are only the fools, the ones who enjoy it.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long has she been like that?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since Grom,” Edric replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and looked at her sister, Emira was </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> using Viney’s jacket. She had thought her sister would’ve given up on the thing after one day or two—if Luz would’ve given her, her jacket, that’s how long it would’ve taken for her to let it go—but Emira was still holding it even a week later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did she even take a bath?” Amity asked, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She used cleaning spells, but you know that’s not the same thing.” Edric sighed and moved to the kitchen. “Mom left our lunches ready, so you should probably go,” he said when he came back with her lunch bag in a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about her?” Amity asked, taking the bag from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll deal with her, our teacher is getting tired of the jacket, too,” Edric said and moved past her. “Now, better go, Luz is waiting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded after a few seconds and walked towards the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edric, no! Not the chilly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are making me do this! Take my ‘death bringer spicy mix’!” Edric’s voice came from inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Amity sighed when she heard her sister’s scream the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t like she couldn’t understand her sister’s feelings, the rush Grom night had left on them was still pretty strong even after a whole week later. Amity herself was still holding her Grom queen crown every now and then while remembering the kiss she had given Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if it wasn’t on the lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled at the memory of the astonished Luz that couldn’t even talk after what she had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The moment was all…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought and jumped over a fallen tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, with all the magic and awesome things she had lived during all that night, Amity couldn’t stop thinking about why it all happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meeting the Emperor had been so… weird, eager to make her go with him; and even weirder was the way his obsession over Luz seemed to be so… important?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More like desperate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was prepared to take down more than half of the population in the isles just to get Luz to go with him, and for what?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I still don’t know…” she whispered and looked ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had promised her an explanation ever since they went to the knee, but she had never once tried to talk to her about it, every time they were about to touch the topic, Luz seemed to get so… sad, and Amity would just drop it… in retrospective, it was more her fault than Luz’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t just keep leaving things on the air anymore-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, I told you to stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try to make me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity dived under a rock that was flying towards her face and looked up. She saw both grown-up Clawthorne and they were fighting… without magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked and looked up, she found Luz atop of a tree. The girl jumped down and landed effortlessly next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi there, you are early,” Luz said, helping her to stand up. “What’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I should be asking that,” Amity replied and groaned. “What’s happening here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the wrong question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity saw it again, how Luz’s eyes became dark from a moment to the other and how her whole body became tense. She didn’t want to talk about it, she didn’t want to open that part of her life to her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Amity didn’t want to be in the dark any longer… was that wrong?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not… alright,” Luz said and shook her head. “It’s important, but I… I don’t feel like talking about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Does it have to do with the Emperor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz jumped a bit and she looked away from her. “…I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you, Edalyn! We need to go!” Amity heard Lilith’s scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>”What?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked at the sisters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I told you that’s not happening!” Eda shouted back. “I’m not running away from that bastard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t fight him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity, let’s just go,” Luz said, taking her hand. “Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything, but nodded… whatever was happening, it was far deeper than what she had thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you like this?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda groaned and looked back at Lilith. “Because I’m not a coward!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their little fight had ended in a tie. Eda was fairly confident in her own physical and magical skills, but she was in the middle of recovering from a bad attack from her curse when Lilith had started to rant about the stupid idea of leaving the ‘Owl House’ and going away from the isles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if she would let the stupid Belos drive her away from her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, there’s no way we can hold off the full force of the Emperor’s coven here!” Lilith shouted walking behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been doing pretty well so far,” she replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been coming here with three groups, tops! What will you do if the entire army comes?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now they are an </span>
  <em>
    <span>army</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Listen to yourself Lily,” Eda said and stopped in front of the door to the house. “And ‘sides, Hooty here can deal with them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hooty lit up at that phrase. “Are we getting new friends coming?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, your house demon won’t be able to hold ground against thousands of witches,” Lilith said again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you don’t know that.” Eda sighed and opened the door, entering the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith did have a point, the risk was too high if she had to protect Luz all the time during a fight. Sure, the kid had survived her encounter with Belos, and her new magic was way too powerful and unexpected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was something Eda would call </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> wild magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Belos was … weird. He was powerful enough to make the isles bend to his will, and yet, he hadn’t sent notice of Luz being his kid, he hadn’t sent anyone to her house. Instead, he had done everything himself, appearing in front of them, using magic that was a secret, playing with monsters and artifacts.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Something’s up with this guy…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought, covering her eyes with her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, are you listening to me?!” Lilith shouted and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her turn around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and lowered her hand. “No, Lily, I’m not listening to those cries of yours!” She said, “I’m not leaving my home because of this old fart!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily,” Eda interrupted and glared at her sister. “You may not have things to protect around here anymore, but I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect the punch to the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare to say that again,” Lilith </span>
  <em>
    <span>barked </span>
  </em>
  <span>the words, “if I’m doing this is because I’m trying to protect us all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at her sister and then ran a finger over her lips, she was bleeding!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t believe you still had that much punch in you,” Eda joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, this is no joke,” Lilith said and groaned. “What is your plan if Belos decided to go and just expose the little fact that Luz is his daughter?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He won’t do that, if he wanted he would’ve already done it-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if he changes his mind? Believe me, it’s not that weird! Edalyn, if he says that to the people-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know if it’s true-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It won’t matter!” Lilith screamed and took another step forward, facing her fully. “People is going to act just because of the mere </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibility </span>
  </em>
  <span>of her being his, you may be able to fight the troops, I’ll give you that, but what about the entire isles?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked away at that moment. “Not all the isles will come, and he won’t ever say it at this point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… You are unbelievable… I thought you’d see some sense now that Lucelyn is at risk!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m seeing reality, Lily!” Eda finally shouted, “What are we supposed to do with your idea?! Run? Where? And even if we find a place to hide, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Live to hide, running away from everything we care about just because of that guy?! Living without a home, hiding, alone, and in misery?! No! I’m not doing that to Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had had enough of that kind of life already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what, Edalyn?” Lilith asked, her rage seemingly dead. “You pick a fight with the most powerful witch ever while getting weaker and weaker every day? And you just… what? Do you plan to hide the fact that she is the Emperor’s daughter from everyone?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda spit blood to the side and looked back at her sister. “…If it’s necessary,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha, you are fine…” Klaris sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if screw up?! What if I ruin the opening game?! What if-?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris stopped listening after that, honestly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha had always had those little breakdowns, but it was usually a few days </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>Grugby season, but well… she had had another set of things in motion lately, she guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Making amends, the peace with her past and such…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did things go with Willow again?” Klaris asked when seeing Boscha about to start breaking stuff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead looked at her and sighed, taking a seat. “It went… fine, I guess…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… yeah? I mean, she hasn’t forgiven me but… but we are not in the ‘I’m-gonna-kill-you-when-I-see-you’ kind of relationship anymore… we just… don’t… don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> a relationship anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes less is more, I guess?” Klaris said, “what about your other friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More like acquaintances,” Boscha replied, “Cat and Amelia are still hanging with me a lot but we only talk about Grugby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s bad because…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m not good enough to be talked to about something else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boscha…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Because Grugby season just started?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s better.” Klaris smiled and leaned closer. “Look, you are already on a good path, just keep it up and you’ll see how people start to notice how wonderful you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t wait standing,” she replied and stood up. “I should go; I’m late for school already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris got to her feet too and hugged Boscha, the girl tensed and relaxed in less than five seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are an incredible girl, you know that?” she whispered, “that mantra I gave you could use some improvements now, but you are still a winner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t felt like one lately…” Boscha said back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are one, remember: ‘You are talented, you are a star... You may have tripped, but it's alright as long as you want to fix it. And most important of all’..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"…’You are a winner’?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You are a </span>
  <em>
    <span>person</span>
  </em>
  <span>... Boscha, you are a person, a wonderful one, are we clear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yeah… OK,” Boscha said and pulled away. “You know you are the only person in my life that actually seems to like me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure there are more people out there that can see the amazing girl I’m seeing, you just need to look out a bit harder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha sighed and smirked at her—it was a false smile, but it was just a bit happier than the ones she used to give her—before fixing her hair and jacket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Star captain of the Banshees, Boscha! Walking out!” she said and made a salute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris giggled and made a mock salute too. “Go on! Another championship waits to be conquered.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed and Boscha walked out while Klaris looked after her before dropping herself on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she doing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her bookshelf and sighed before walking towards it and taking three books, moving them aside to take out the folder she found in Kikimora’s office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She should be looking out for Lilith, not counseling a really insecure but amazing girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Alright, that’s wrong, but I still need to find her…” she said and hid the folder again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath and walked to her room, getting out just a minute later already dressed for her shift on the archives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to keep up a face until she found Lilith and could tell her about…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t even think about it,” she whispered and got out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw around the street while walking, the entire town was making fuzz over Grugby, new stands, people making posters and even some kids were wearing the Banshees colors and face paint. Klaris bit her lip and looked away, she could understand Boscha’s pressure a bit more after looking at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Was I like this?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered in her head, taking a turn in a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, wait up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t do that! You are too slow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need good vegetables for dinner, don’t we?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris stopped dead in her tracks and turned around until she saw the silver hair and red dress, Eda was there with a bag of—Klaris supposed—groceries, and next to her was another figure clothed in a black cloak and a navy blue dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris didn’t think of her next move she just… moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed through the people and smashed herself against the cloaked person, hugging her with all her strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-What?!” she heard her say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked up and glared at the woman. “Don’t! You! Ever! Ghost! On! Me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard a gasp and then Eda’s voice. “Lily’s girlfriend?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at Eda and smiled before sticking her tongue out at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you too, Eda,” she said and then turned back at Lilith. “Where were you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and moved the cloak, she was… fine, thinner than before but fine, her eyes had bags under them, but she didn’t look like she was ill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had a little… situation, regarding Kikimora…” She began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the dungeons,” Eda commented, “she had you tied up real good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris gaped. “What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was imprisoned!” Lilith said, “Edalyn, don’t make mi life harder than it needs to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s my job!” Eda sighed and looked around. “You know what? You two deal with your things, I’ll go see Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” Klaris asked. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stopped a second and looked back. “I have something to give her, I just finished it, so I’m out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at Eda go and then looked back at Lilith, the older Clawthorne looked at her and smiled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I didn’t contact you… I’m a bit on edge with all the, you know, ‘being a fugitive’ situation,” Lilith said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I get it, I could help you, too. My spells are almost a perfect crime after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish you haven’t told me that.” Lilith sighed. “What had happened while I was gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not much, the castle went over the top for Grom, Kikimora finally gets how hard your work is and-” Klaris eyes went wide when she remembered the folder in her house. “We gotta go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinked and nodded slowly. “Right… where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was just talking to some students when Skara tackled her and Gus appeared next to her from a puff of blue dust and sparkles, and the next second they pulled her into an empty classroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to make a plan for Boscha!” Skara and Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Willow stared at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara replied first. “Grugby season is here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Banshees need to win!” Gus followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we need to get Boscha’s head in the game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But she’s been out of it since Grom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Skara said and took Willow’s hand. “We were hoping to cheer her up with a practice match!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow blinked several times. “I…I don’t see how this involves me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, Boscha is trying hard to make it up to you, right?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, she won’t say no if you ask her to teach you how to play!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Let me see if I get it,” Willow said, “you want me to ask Boscha to teach me to play Grugby to see if she </span>
  <em>
    <span>miraculously</span>
  </em>
  <span> recovers her fight spirit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both witches nodded really fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gotta be joking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, listen, even Cat and Amelia are worried, OK? The Banshees need Boscha at one hundred percent,” Skara said, “I can’t play, that’s a given, so I can’t replace her, hell, the only one who could, would be Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why!” Gus cut in. “We want Amity and you to team up with Luz and make a practice game!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow gaped. “Amity, Luz, and me? Guys, are you listening to yourselves?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, I’m not a Grugby player,” Gus replied, “I’m a cheerleader! My flags need to be used!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m a lousy player.” Skara sighed. “I’ve seen Luz run, fight and do much more, Amity has a story on the playfield, and you are capable of tackling down anyone, there’s no better team than you, gals!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, even in the remote situation we were to make it,” Willow said, “why do you think this will help Boscha? Do you even know why she is distracted?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow… it’s obviously because of you and me,” Skara said and crossed her arms. “And Grom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why would she be affected by that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus chuckled and almost laughed until he saw her face. “Oh, wait, you are serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, Boscha has a crush on you,” Skara said, “she </span>
  <em>
    <span>told </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, how did forget?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Willow asked, “She didn’t tell me that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? She is being pretty obvious about it,” Gus commented, “it’s not as bad as Luz’s and Amity’s flirting but it’s close enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two are kidding,” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t budge and she had to accept that she wasn’t hearing a joke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…This is ridiculous,” Willow moaned, “first you Skara and now Boscha?! What do I have with attracting abusive people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry?” Skara said and kissed her on the cheek. “At least we are patching up things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow got one hand to her cheek and sighed, it had felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, are you going to help?” Gus asked, “I’m sure Luz and Amity will be in to hit Boscha with magic during practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at her friend. “I haven’t thought of that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have the time to say something after that, there was a ruckus and the sound of a crash came from outside. The three teens shared a look and rushed out, getting to the stairs and looking down, just to find Boscha, Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus in the middle of a hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you to drop the damn ball!” Viney shouted while hugging the griffin, “Puddles can’t resist it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why is it inside the school?!” Boscha replied, “That thing should be on the stables!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Puddles isn’t a ‘thing’ she is a great girl!” Jerbo said, “And she was helping Viney carry medicine for advance decrease treatment class!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed and made a spell circle, raising vines from the ground between Boscha and the ‘Troublemakers’ group. She walked down and stood next to Boscha, crossing her arms and glaring at the triclop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t it a bit early for this?” Willow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Boscha stared at her and how her cheeks became a little redder before she looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn it, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>blind, maybe she should ask for another set of glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t my fault,” Boscha muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked at where Puddles was playing with a Grugby ball, the saddlebags were on the ground, some colored dust and liquids were staining the floor and Viney was trying to stop the griffin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed and shook her head. “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Boscha looked back up at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viney shouldn’t have Puddles in the hallways if she was asked to use her help, she should have done it-” she turned towards the brunette witch “-outside!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney flinched and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I know it wasn’t your fault,” Willow said, “but you should at least help to fix this mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Boscha whined, “But it was their-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll help you if you stop that,” she cut in, “you are all at fault for making this bigger than it needed to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha watched her carefully before sighing and letting out a groan and walking towards the spilled potions on the floor. Willow smirked before her mind caught up with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had she just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>defended </span>
  </em>
  <span>Boscha?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I give up,” she said and her shoulders fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was making ‘friends’ with people she used to consider monsters, just how messed up that was?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” Skara said from behind her. “You gonna help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked back at her and then to the group of ‘troublemakers’ who were staring at Boscha, who was separating the spilled potions with magic and re-bottling them in new crystals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she conceded, “but I’m not the only one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The road to Hexside was a nightmare, and don’t get Luz started on her spelling class with Amity and Gus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had tried to bring up the theme of them leaving the isles; she had tried to think of a way to tell Amity the truth, about everything. But the words just got caught up in her throat every time she thought of it. Amity was the closest thing she had to a… couple? Could she call her a ‘G’ word? She wasn’t sure, and even with it all, even after Grom, even after the deal with the Basilisk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she hesitate so much about just going clean with her?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because nobody ever liked me for what I really was, maybe?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and closed her locker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was so frustrating, Amity had seen her through panic attacks, through monstrous fights, and even with family issues, but all that had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lucelyn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not Luz, Amity had dealt with the problems of the daughter of a criminal that had a personal grudge against a powerful man, no the half-human sort of princess that lingered between sanity and craziness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was somehow a huge gap between those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and turned around. “Still a great day ahead-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Help us!” she heard and a hand back by the cloak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz found herself staring up at a pretty panicked Viney and Jerbo in the ‘Secret Room of Shortcuts’—even when it wasn’t much of a secret anymore—with the girl wearing face paint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, Willow is crazy!” Viney said, “She wants me to play against the ‘Banshees’!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And they want me to cheer!” Jerbo added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz's mind went blank… and she broke into laughter. “What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is not funny!” Viney cried, pulling her up. “Boscha is going to kill me! She is a beast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jerbo held her by the shoulders and spun her around before adding. “And Skara, Barkus, and Gus want me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>dance </span>
  </em>
  <span>I can’t dance! I basically destroyed Edric’s feet during Grom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, I need a minute,” Luz said and took deep breaths. “So… what is that you want me to do about this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take my place!” Viney said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Jerbo came right after. “So Viney can take mine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked from one witch to the other before nodding slowly. “OK? Wait. Viney, you want to be a cheerleader?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl blushed and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She loves dancing and stuff,” Jerbo commented, “she also likes cute clothes, but her image needs to be maintained-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you not to say that out loud!” Viney shouted, punching him on the arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh! Why violence?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled a little at the sight of those two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was wrong to envy them?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I wish I could just go clean on them, too.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Having friends that she could tease like that was an old dream of hers, she had Willow now but even she didn’t know everything about her. And Luz knew she was a hypocrite, talking about the power of friendship to her enemies—she did have enemies… damn manga and their stupid influence—when she still had that secret on her… while she wasn’t being honest with the people she wanted to call her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m pathetic…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought with a tired smile. “OK, so, who’s in the team?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming more than I did when I studied here…” Eda whispered, looking at Hexside’s doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was far too involved with that damn place as a matter of lately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just get this over with,” she whispered, walking inside the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some students were running around, but none of them were making trouble, Eda considered trying to rise a little mayhem, but her mind was functional enough for her to understand that doing so could harm Luz’s future in the school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hah, she even considered </span>
  <em>
    <span>consequences </span>
  </em>
  <span>now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda passed in front of the classes Luz had said she would be seeing that day the night before, but all those were already over or set to start in an hour or so, so she was pretty much just guessing where she could try to find her kid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was when she passed next to a window that she finally saw her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in the Titan’s shi-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her little curse could wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran towards the lockers and pushed the damn thing, opening a secret door—like hell, she would forget where she placed her shortcuts—and used her staff to fly towards one of the doors on the higher point in the room, a small black and grey door that barely left her to pass through. She charged against it and burst to the other side in an arrow’s fly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just to find herself almost crashing against the back of the scoreboard on the Grugby field’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Willow’s team takes the lead!” she heard a voice and looked to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go, go, Willow!” two teens shouted moving flags in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she heard another set of voices. “Banshees for the win!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back at the field and grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, you never disappoint, do you?” she whispered, getting higher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched carefully how Luz, Amity, and Willow played a real Grugby game against the other three witches. The game was apparently a tie so far, each player was blasting magic and throwing stuff at each other while the field made a mess of itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah, Grugby, such a chaotic thing to play and see… how had she missed it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched until the very last minute of it, how Luz stopped a fireball with her ice glyph, how she used her own fire to blast the ball through the score-post, and also how she pushed Willow up with a huge plant covered in thorns!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed and looked at her kid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was doing fairly well with only glyph cards… but still. “It’s not enough, is it?” Eda whispered and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They weren’t trying to be Grugby champions, they were trying to survive a power-drunken maniac that just so happened to be one of the most powerful people around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, no chance if they didn’t improve…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is there such a stupid rule?!” Eda heard Luz’s voice and looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The game seemed to be over and her kid just got out of her gear and walked away from her group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good as any other moment, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda found Luz fuming angrily next to a wall, she was looking through her glyph cards and had a small ice flower on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid ‘golden’ stuff…” Luz muttered, apparently unaware of her presence. “Why are you even playing if getting that stupid thing just makes you win?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because is an excuse to hurt someone,” Eda offered and Luz looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one and only!” she replied and moved next to Luz. “What are you doing there, kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. “I was just looking how many glyphs of each I still have…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not there,” she interrupted and pointed to the ice flower on Luz’s shoulder. “There.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I was just practicing mixing magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mixing magic?” Eda repeated, a black mass passed through her memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, she was aware of how Luz had beaten Belos and Grom, she didn’t believe it at first, but then again, she was a mother now and the absurdity had long before jumped down the drain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I thought I could try mixing other glyphs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t happy with ice plants?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are hard and flexible, but not powerful or fast enough,” Luz replied, “I think light and fire would do the trick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not like there’s much to guess,” Eda said and Luz nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll have to manage myself like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you are doing great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why would you do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw your match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you know we lost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of a stupid technical rule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still a rule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t change the fact it’s stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know!” Luz moaned the words. “I don’t think I can keep up after school…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gotta play again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… Gus and Skara wanted to cheer for us, but they couldn’t be on the same cheering group because they wanted to cheer for everyone, so now we have a rematch after school…” Luz sighed when saying that. “I’m tired, and I have history next… I’m going to sleep through it all and Willow is going to scold me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes she seems more like a mother to ya than me,” Eda joked and they both laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I better get back, my next class should be soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t say anything at that and watched Luz take a few steps before remembering why she was there in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kiddo!” She shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz jumped a little and turned back again. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and looked away, her cheeks getting a bit hotter. “I…I have something for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gift?!” she asked and jumped a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded and got the small bag from her hair, extending it towards Luz. The teen stared at it for a second and her eyes winded, Eda swallowed hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that the bag with…” Luz whispered; her emotion from before nowhere to be found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-It’s the bag, but the thing inside is different,” Eda said, “I know you don’t really want to look at it but it was the only thing I could use…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Luz groaned. “How did you even get your hands on it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your question? I sleep in your room more than not, kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed and closed her eyes before she held the bag, her body tensed when the fabric touched her skin, but her eyes opened when the whole weight of it was on her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not… pieces…?” she whispered and moved her other hand to the knot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled when a little gasp came out of Luz’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W…W-What? Eda this is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled and moved closer, the bag was opened and showed the result of sleepless nights of work on her part. A small necklace composed of a long copper-colored chain and a bright orange gemstone hanging from it inside a metal oval with a little engraving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your bracelet,” Eda said, taking the thing and walking around Luz. “But… I thought you could use it.” She closed the chain around Luz’s neck and smiled when she was back in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The necklace fitted her perfectly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You… where did you find something like this?” Luz asked, looking down at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled. “Find? Kid, I made it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be so surprised,” Eda said and smacked Luz on the head. “I’m the most powerful witch in the ‘Boiling Isles’ after all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at her and then laughed so much that she had to bent over herself. Once she had calmed down, she looked at her and then to the necklace, holding the gemstone with one hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did you even find materials for this?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s smiled got tense and she bit her lip. “I used your old necklace as a base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?! So cool!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yeah, and… well… I-I also used the shards of your bracelet.” Eda stopped talking when Luz looked up at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… did…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t want to open those memories for Luz, she didn’t want her to go through that again… but she had to finish talking. She couldn’t have her using something like that without knowing what it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…And used something else,” Eda said and closed her eyes, “I used… my blood on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Luz shouted, “Eda! But-! Blood magic is dangerous, they always say that a single mistake could… could-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take me down? Well, so are soul magic and curses, but that didn’t stop you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know! How can you be so irresponsible?! </span>
  <em>
    <span>No sé qué haría sin ti! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda I… are you OK?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and smiled, of course, that would be the course of questioning she’d get from Luz, the kid couldn’t care about herself first, friends and family would always come first. Why couldn’t she just be a little more selfish?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“…Because that wouldn’t be Luz…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought and placed a hand on Luz's head. “Kiddo, I’m OK, I did it perfectly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…But why did you do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Well, I tried to do it alone with the metal and the stone, but it wouldn’t fuse well, and I thought of mixing a bit of magic into it since my power ran well through it but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mean like that!” Luz interrupted her, “Eda, why would you risk so much for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That’s a joke, right?” Eda asked back, “Kiddo, I would do it all the times it’s necessary, even if the impossible situation where I make a mistake were to happen in every single one of those tries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wow, even Eda got surprised at how easy that came out of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gapped. “E-Eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, kiddo,” Eda repeated and it felt… easier. “You are part of my life, and since you came… since you are with me, I think, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>that I’ve become a better person…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled and placed a hand on her hip before covering her mouth with the other to try to suppress her laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t believe herself, all cheesy and </span>
  <em>
    <span>emotional.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Point is,” Eda said when she managed to calm down her laughs, “kiddo, you are the best thing that ever happened to me, problems, mysteries and all the other weird stuff you brought with you included… so, of course, I’m cheesy and boring here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and then at the necklace. “You…You mean it… right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiddo, you know me! I find it hard to say, let alone joke about it,” Eda replied, “I love you, kiddo, you are my daughter, no matter what other people might say or think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t look up, she just… closed her hand around the gemstone and stood there. Eda thought of moving and hugging her when she saw a little gleam come from between Luz’s fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did it… connect..?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt Luz's arms around her before she could finish that thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, mom,” Luz whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed and returned the hug. “I thought we had already talked about all this stuff, didn’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m a bad learner in this area…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well…” Eda shook her head. “That makes two of us, kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that until Eda heard the bell to go back to class. She took a deep breath and separate from Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OK, OK! Cheesy time’s over!” Eda said and rubbed her face with a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she about to cry?! Argh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings,</span>
  </em>
  <span> right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t wanna be late to class,” Luz replied, “see you at home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where else would I be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and hugged her another time before turning and running back inside Hexside, Eda waited until she was out of sight before turning and letting out all the air in her lungs. Being a mom was going to be the end of her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…But…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That kid is something special…” she whispered and summoned Owlbert. “I should start with dinner early today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was happy to see Klaris, being cared so much for someone who didn’t have a relation with her sister helped her to feel a little better with herself and how she made… relations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris, are you going to tell me what’s happening?” Lilith asked when they got to a black street alley.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette pulled her along to a little house and opened the door. “It’s faster if I show you, now, come on in, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith followed and looked around the little house. It was… cozy, definitely more organized than her sister’s cabin, and it had a calming air to it that Lilith hadn’t felt in a home since…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t felt in a home, period.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I was looking for you,” Klaris talked from the living room, regaining her attention. “I kinda went through some places I shouldn’t have…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Which places?” Lilith asked, getting the cloak down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so hot out there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like… your room’s floor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith chocked. “What?! Kikimora lives there too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… Kinda, sorta… went into her room…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ask that a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris, even when I was with her, I only went into her room once! That place is almost as unreachable as the Emperor’s vault!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I know, I kno- wait, you and Kikimora went that far?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not important right now!” She said with a blush creeping up her cheeks, “What were you doing there?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looking for you since you ghosted me after dinner with your family!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith gaped. “I. Literally. Had. My. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fucking. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hands. Chained. To. A. Wall!” she shouted, marking each word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why else would I stop writing you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you grew tired of me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been dating less than two weeks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could’ve already dumped me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I want to dump someone as wonderful and beautiful as you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t flatter me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was the truth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then thanks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are we still shouting?!” Lilith finally screamed and covered her face with her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I guess because there are so many emotions we are not touching yet,” Klaris said and groaned. “Look, I have a lot of things to say to you after all… ‘this’, but right now, there is something I need you to look at.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith took a deep breath and lowered her hands, Klaris had a folder extended in her direction, and the tension on her body was clear for her. Lilith took the papers carefully and opened them, running her eyes swiftly over the contents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt her heart falling to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This can’t… this can’t be real,” she whispered and looked up Klaris. “This is not possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, Kikimora had it on her office, on her desk, and already prepared to be sent,” the brunette said, hugging herself. “Lily, I know no one can do what’s written in there… but Emperor Belos isn’t someone we can really place a limit on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith shook her head and re-read the papers, she did it so many times… she turned them, folded them, used magic to reveal any kind of trick or joke, but nothing happened, the information remained the same, the words never changed and the weight of them and their implications remained to crunch over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe he would do this,” she said and closed the folder before sighing. “Who am I kidding? Of course, I believe it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… What are you going to do?” Klaris asked, “If what’s written there is true then…then your family is in danger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith closed her eyes and thought of what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because frankly? She had no idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn wasn’t going to run, never, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>stubborn, even if Lilith did show her the folder, she would probably just jump against Belos as she was. She couldn’t take Lucelyn away either, she wouldn’t get far before Edalyn started to make a fuzz and Luz decided to come back for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those two were impossible to reason with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, what did she have left? Escape alone, but for what? What would she do alone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, she had just one possible option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to stop him,” Lilith said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You are joking, right?” Klaris asked, Lilith, didn’t respond. “Lilith… it’s suicide!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be dead anyway if I don’t try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris, my sister won’t turn away and run, the least I can do is get her a handicap,” Lilith said, bending the folder and summoning her staff, she detached her Palisman and gave it the folder. “Get this to the ‘Owl House’ and come back as soon as you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small white raven nodded and took off, escaping the little house by an open window. Lilith watched it go before dropping herself on Klaris's couch. She needed to prepare spells, and some objects if she was going to go and try to stop Belos plans, she needed to take the secret routes back inside the castle and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you be like this?” Klaris asked, “You are going to die for sure if you do this, how are you OK with that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked up at the brunette and found something she hadn’t seen in a long time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw </span>
  <em>
    <span>worry, </span>
  </em>
  <span>for her, someone who really feared for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She chuckled. “Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why-? Lilith, you’ll die!” Klaris shouted, closing the distance between them and holding her by the shoulders. “You could try to convince Eda again, I’ll go with you! Heck, I’ll pay her if that’s what it takes to get her to run, but you can’t go and die!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t I?” Lilith asked and smiled. “I haven’t really been living much, it wouldn’t make a difference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris,” Lilith said, taking the other’s hand and placing it on her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Titan, she missed the touching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been living the last three decades pursuing something that now is meaningless,” she said, “I sacrificed my life with my sister, I basically made her into an outcast, I attacked people without caring what they did, I obeyed a selfish kid-man just because I wanted some position and power… for what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith?” Klaris whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what did I sacrifice so many things?” she continued. “For a position that people could respect? So I could go and make history’, to make my family name one that was worth something? Klaris, I just did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” she said and left out a laugh, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>broken</span>
  </em>
  <span> laugh, and then she sobbed. “I did it all… and I don’t even have a reason for it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and rubbed the wet sensation away from her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m worthless, and I made myself like that… I choose to be like that…” Lilith laughed and stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the astonished Klaris and smiled softly, the brunette was so similar to her sister, her younger sister. Klaris seemed so bright sometimes, and so dark in others, but that was OK, Lilith liked dark places, places you could just… be yourself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought she had finally found one… and she was just divagating now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t make any sense anymore,” she whispered, “I never should’ve thought I deserved to be happy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her Palisman got back inside the house at that moment and she took the rest of her staff, allowing it to fuse again with it. She looked at the raven for a second before closing her eyes and gritting her teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the only thing I can do now,” she said and opened her eyes again, looking at Klaris, “I’m really glad I met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and ran, not letting her resolution fade even with Klaris's voice coming from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had made choices in the past that left her alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just going to make a choice like that again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry, Edalyn.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, jumping on her staff and flying away.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “Seems like I won’t be fulfilling our promise.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was sure something was off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She has had her classes, received questions about her new necklace, and gossiped about it with Willow and Amity for a long while before the school hours had come to an end and they had to go back to the Grugby field to play </span>
  <em>
    <span>another </span>
  </em>
  <span>practice match.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So what had happened? They should’ve been helping Boscha, Cat, and Amelia practice, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then why was she on the ground with one of the worst pains she had ever felt?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Amity?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That had to be Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What…What’s going on…?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and moved a bit, barely managing to look up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you are still conscious, impressive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at the woman floating a few meters away from her, she didn’t know her, but Eda had told her about her, same as Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“K-Kikimora…” Luz groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon nodded at her. “So you know me? I guess the traitor does talk about her superior officer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aunt Lily… does talk about… the demon who can’t stop going after her butt,” Luz replied and heard a chuckle come out of Amity next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re uncorrectable,” Amity muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled. “Guilty as charged.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see the effect of that family on the people,” Kikimora said and Luz could sear she was mad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What were the bad guys doing by hiding their faces?! They didn’t have secret identities! Stop imitating Joker!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are still manageable,” Kikimora said, “you should just come with me today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> send you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I’ve come to fetch you in a goodwill matter.” Kikimora scoffed. “How is possible that a group of kids makes so much trouble? The other should’ve got by now, but here you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your ppl is just a bunch of bullies,” Amity said, “a kid can beat a bully.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True,” she heard Boscha and Willow say at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid kids…” the demon woman said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” Luz asked again, kneeling. “If </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t send you, why would you even bother with me? You don’t even seem to like my family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora laughed at that before lowering herself to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are truly, a throne on my side, and my liege’s, too… but he is interested in you, so I’ll make his life easier by capturing you myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stood up by leaning on Amity’s shoulder and smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you just sad lose to my aunt a week ago?” She asked and saw Kikimora flinch. “Oh my god, you did! And that guy gave a lecture or something right?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon growled. “You are impertinent!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meh, I’ve been called worse,” Luz said, “right, Boscha?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can come up with better stuff asleep,” the triclop replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve heard her do so,” Skara added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t hold anything against you… filthy kids,” Kikimora said, “just hand me the criminal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and looked around expecting everyone’s glares… but nobody was looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Criminal?” Viney asked, “lady, you’re going to be more specific.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we are pretty much that, too,” Jerbo said and Barkus backed him up with a bark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha sighed too loudly. “And what is that ‘criminal’ label for? She is at much a wanna-be one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is no criminal in my book,” Skara said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nor in mine,” Gus added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not giving you my best friend,” Willow said and smirked. “No matter what you say, believe me when I tell you I’m doing you a favor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t say a thing; she made a spell circle and created her abomination; that immediately after taking form threw its head towards the woman. The rest of the teens did the same right after and attacked with their magic, the woman blocked all the incoming magic with a barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not getting her,” Amity growled those words. “I’m not letting you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid kids,” Kikimora said while she moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A set of chains came from the ground and tied her friends, none of them able to move their hands except for Amity. Kikimora didn’t lose time and made a new spell circle that created a mass of magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved by instinct and separated from Amity, getting in front of all her fried and getting her fire and light glyphs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, who burns through lies and shadows and pain, become a beacon of hope that will shine another day,” she whispered and threw the glyphs at the same them Kikimora release her spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire-owl burst to life with an explosion, the flames of a bright orange that vibrated on the air. The beast flew towards Kikimora’s spell and collided with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The explosion was far too big for her taste.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz dropped ice glyphs and the expansive wave was enough to send her back and break the chains that restrained her friends at the same moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, all that happened just before she hit the ground… hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can’t get a single day without one of my ribs cracking?! Maldición…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she heard Amity scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked to the side and the teal-haired witch was already next to her, her abomination flanking her. Willow, Boscha, and Skara were already up and with their spells prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you guys OK?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow groaned. “How can you be so selfless? You are the one who took the attack head-on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And for nothing,” another voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked to the front and saw Kikimora with a cracked barrier standing a few feet from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you just leave?” Boscha whined, “She couldn’t have done something bad enough to justify this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t do anything…” Luz whispered and tried to stand, but she fell again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora shook her head while her barrier recovered. “You don’t know anything, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know that our friend won’t go with you!” Willow shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boscha blasted a fireball at the demon. “Not my friend, but you are not taking her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara and Gus blasted a wave of mist while Amity, Viney, and Jerbo sent a giant boulder towards the demon woman. There was a crash and when the mist dispersed, Kikimora was there, her barrier broken and she shaking a little, but she was still fine and standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You kids are talented, but your hearts are in the wrong place,” Kikimora said, “do you know who she is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is our friend!” Gus shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys…” Luz whispered, looking at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s hands were holding her the very next second and she looked up at her, Amity was glaring at Kikimora, Boscha and Viney were next to her, and Cat and Amelia were unconscious behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but she is not that alone, is she?” Kikimora asked, making a spell circle. “Do you have any idea who she </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop… it…” Luz whispered- </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleaded.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But Kikimora didn’t care about it. “She is not the ‘Owl Lady’s’ daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz coughed and her next words hurt when they left her lips. “Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is she then?” Amity and Willow screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz world shattered when Kikimora responded just before vanishing in the air:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is the Princess; Emperor Belos’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>half-human </span>
  </em>
  <span>daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was expecting Lilith to be out all night, but still, she got really surprised when her Pawlisman entered through the kitchen window and dropped a folder, just to fly away the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What just happened?” King asked from the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda blinked a few times before looking away from the window and responding. “I think Lily is telling us that she is not coming for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With a ten pages letter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was always the ‘good’ one,” Eda said, placing away the big wooden spoon and taking the folder in her hands. “Anyway, it can’t be that long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You talk like you’re used to this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To letters this big? No, to Lilith? Yes,” Eda replied and chuckled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“She’ll never change.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda opened the folder and looked over some words, but she didn’t find anything like a note, she didn’t even find Lilith’s handwriting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She read the file, the notes, her heart beating faster with every word that passed in front of her eyes, and she almost fainted when she had read it all. She closed the thing and smashed it against the counter, breathing hard and with her mind running millions of scenarios.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she hated each one more than the previous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>joke.” Eda shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King climbed the counter. “Eda? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All,” she replied and covered her mouth. “Lily was right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Did you just admit you were wrong?” King asked; his voice a bit too high. “My titan…! ‘Bout what, were you wrong, exactly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos,” Eda said, “I can’t risk fighting him… not with Luz on the line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! Are you cowarding?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a word. But… yes, I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King gaped at her, his mouth actually hanging open. “But-But you never run away from a fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This time is different,” Eda said and got a hand in her hair, getting the portal key out of it. “This time I can’t risk it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at the demon and sighed before getting the key on the counter and taking a deep breath before glaring at the damn folder, she lit up the damned thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta go,” she said, staring at the flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You asked that far too much,” she said and smiled. “I need you to promise me something, King.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little demon looked at her in the eyes for what felt like an eternity, but he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I need you to send Luz away… and destroy the portal door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… send Luz away, forever?” King asked, “Why would I do that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed. “To protect her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s why you are here! You are supposed to protect her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t do it!” She shouted back, “You think I want to send her away?! I just told her that I loved her today! On my </span>
  <em>
    <span>own! </span>
  </em>
  <span>King, that kid is my family, the reason why I’m considering doing the stupidest thing I’ve ever done! I don’t want her gone, but-!” she stopped herself and looked away. “I-I can’t take care of her anymore, I can’t protect her anymore…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos is far too dangerous,” she said, interrupting the demon. “What he is planning, what he’ll do if he gets Luz.” She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she knew it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She must have looked like a beast if the scared face and shaking body of King were proof enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not letting him do it anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anymore? But he hasn’t done anything yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King,” Eda said, turning towards the door. “I’m not letting him </span>
  <em>
    <span>breathe </span>
  </em>
  <span>anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t hear a reply, nor did she wait for one. She got in her staff and got Owlbert to fly away, as fast as she could towards the palace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The folder didn’t just say what he’ll do to Luz, it also talked about something far more worrying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Human realm…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what the hell you’re planning,” she whispered, sending a bit of her magic to Owlbert and getting a speed boost. “But I’m not letting you get away with it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t going to let him take his family and get away as nothing had happened at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was supposedly the most powerful witch that had ever lived?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to give him a run for his money.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had screamed and blasted a new fire owl—not fused magic that time—towards Kikimora, but the demon woman just </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed </span>
  </em>
  <span>and vanished into thin air, leaving Luz and the others in a static, unnatural silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when Amity had tried to talk to her, Luz had </span>
  <em>
    <span>run </span>
  </em>
  <span>away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t even sure where she was when she stopped running, all the walls were covered in graffiti, and she didn’t see any other students nearby. But still, she couldn’t stay in the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she entered on a black door that just bent into the shadows on a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once inside the little room—a storage room, great—with no lights, Luz fell to her knees and cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was done for, she deserved a few tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her secret was out, the life she had had until then gone with Kikimora’s proclamation. It didn’t matter if she tried to deny it, the other will be suspicious, and why would they believe her if she tried to explain it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was haunting her like a war criminal, and she hadn’t done anything, so Kikimora exposing that information at that moment was enough to make anyone believe it. Luz could say Eda was her mom, she could deny the half-human part, but she couldn’t justify Belos chasing her, and that was enough to put the pieces of the puzzle together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t lie; she couldn’t run away from the truth… the </span>
  <em>
    <span>apparent </span>
  </em>
  <span>truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was I too naïve?” Luz whispered and moved, getting her legs up to her chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Was I dreaming too much…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she thinking to begin with? That she could just, run away one day and find a perfect world to live in? That she could be part of a fairy tale? Find a prince to rescue her, or find a princess to rescue herself? Ja!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was a stupid kid after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I flew too high and forgot about the sun…” she whispered, closing her eyes. “And now, I get to burn…” She chuckled. “This is not the song I wanted my life to be like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had tried to be normal, she had tried to just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>live</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she couldn’t. Why couldn’t she?! Why couldn’t she just have a life?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be normal in the human realm!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be normal in the ‘Boiling Isles’!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be herself and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>live!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t I have a life?!” she hissed. “Everyone else gets to have one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone else gets to choose their friends like </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>people, not during fucking fist—magic—fights and after almost getting killed! Everyone else gets to have family dinner that doesn’t end with them suffering from a panic attack that it may be the last time they eat together, everyone else gets to go to school! Everyone else gets to feel protected and safe with people that love them, not feeling like they would just turn on them any second!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why didn’t she get that?! What couldn’t she get that?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with me having a life I can be happy with…?” she whispered, her nails dug themselves in her arms skin. “Why can’t I get to live like myself…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Because the Titan had planned something bigger for us"</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"No..."</span>
  </em>
  <span>  Luz thought, <em>"I'm not you."</em></span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"We are both the same, Luz."</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked up and glared at the shadows, the smile of <em>Princess</em> danced in the shades of her own shadow, picturing the shape of the girl she had seen in the mirror, in Grom's illusion.. in her nightmares...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn't <em>Princess</em>, she would never be.. not if she had a say in it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.. But...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what if she didn't have a say..?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"What if I just don't get to chouse...?"</span>
  </em>
  <span>  She thought and bit her lip, fighting the tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz curled into herself and closed her eyes, the cold around her starting to get her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And she felt a bit of warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes opened slowly, and her vision was blurry. “Stupid tears…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rubbed her eyes and looked down, the necklace Eda gave her was… shining?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved a hand and held the gemstone. She saw the room through it and blinked, getting the gem closer to her eye, and she watched through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow...” She gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz could see it all through the crystal, but that wasn’t what made her stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside the gem was a little flame, so small and weak that she could’ve mistaken it by a reflection if it wasn’t because there was absolutely no light inside that place. She moved the stone, trying to get a better look at the little flame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you, little buddy?” Luz whispered and smiled. “…I’m so pathetic that I’m talking to a light…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like the words had meant something to it, the shape of the mass changed and it grew a bit, Luz blinked at the new shape in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is…Is this a light glyph?” she whispered, looking at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light changed again, it became her scroll glyph, the fire one, the ice one, and then the plant one… and then it became that little flame again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you…?” she whispered, and lowered the gem, staring at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t understand why but her left hand moved slowly, almost on its own, like something had made her touch it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt a warm sensation fill her from it, and her mind went blank, all her anxiety was washed over, and just for a second Luz felt…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peace…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked and looked down. “W-What…?” she whispered, looking at the stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flame was bigger now; it filled the entire gem and it danced almost…almost consciously. Luz looked a bit closer and gasped a bit when she recognized it</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was no flame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed and dropped the necklace, her mind was suddenly tackled by all her thoughts. What Kikimora had said, the looks the other surely had given her, how Willow now hated her for keeping that secret, how Viney and Jerbo wouldn’t talk to her, how Boscha and Gus and Skara would think of her as a lair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And how amity would hate her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” speaking of which. “Luz! Please come here, it’s me! It’s only me, Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tensed and her breath got wilder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, please… I want to talk…” Amity said and she sounded closer. “I-We need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Great, the only phase that never means good.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, hitting her forehead on her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kept quiet and waited, but Amity wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and stood up. “I may as well face the music now…” she whispered and reached out for the doorknob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Which wasn’t there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, storage,” she moaned, “I couldn’t just go on with losing my life, my dignity had to be on the same boat, isn’t that right </span>
  <em>
    <span>estupido universo!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to hit the door when it swung open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she faced the set of golden eyes she didn’t want to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So here’s where you were,” Amity said, her voice toneless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz swallowed and nodded, not trusting her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity didn’t say much, but she didn’t move to let her out either, Luz didn’t feel like trying to walk closer to her at that moment, so they just stood there, Amity watching her with a face so stern and a look so cold that she could’ve as well been a statue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Amity finally asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down. “You’ll have to be more specific.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…It was hardly something I could bring up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that why you are going to leave?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt Eda would make me, but… yeah, that’s why Lilith and Eda were discussing about you leaving…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity closed her eyes and Luz saw something, like a bit of… </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was it?” Amity asked, opening her eyes. “What you didn’t tell me? Since we were on the knee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her tongue and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you were lying to me when you came to Hexside the first time?” Amity asked, “and during that time in the alley after our duel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me your parents wouldn’t let you go to Hexside!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda wouldn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But she is not your mom!” Amity replied and Luz backed off. “Belos is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt a sudden rage from inside her. “He is not my father!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why did the demon say it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he thinks he is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why do you know better than him?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I won’t be related to that bastard that left me alone all my life!” She snapped. “He never looked out for me! If he really is the most powerful witch ever, why didn’t he go to the human realm and looked for me?! Why didn’t he tried to look out for me when he knew about me being in the ‘Boiling Isles’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If he was my father he would’ve loved me back then, he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>me know! But he doesn’t!” she screamed. “He broke my arm, tried to kill me, to kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>you! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m nothing of him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was still glaring at her when she dropped </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>question. “Then why did you lie to me? Why did you run?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t have an answer for those, not a good one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t,” she settled for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity choked and then laughed. “You couldn’t?! But you could play around with me?! With my heart? Was I just a game to you? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Princess?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were never a </span>
  <em>
    <span>game! </span>
  </em>
  <span>And I wanted to tell you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why didn’t you?!” Amity shouted, “Why wouldn’t you tell me about it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I was scared!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About what?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About you hating me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights went off with that, but she didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t hate you!” Amity screamed from the dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, right! Then tell me, how was I supposed to tell you?” Luz asked. “Because I don’t know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just had to be honest with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how to do that!” she finally said, “How was I supposed to tell the most amazing girl I’ve ever met that I don’t even know who my blood-family is?! It’s not something even easy to </span>
  <em>
    <span>live </span>
  </em>
  <span>with!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was pathing and with a sore throat when Amity talked again. “Why is so important what I think about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Because I care about you… because I, and god, this is going to sound like I’m an old woman but…but I couldn’t live with the idea of you hating me…,” Luz replied and dropped to the ground. “And it doesn’t make any sense! I’m used to people hating me, I-I could live with it before! But when I think of Willow, or Gus, or any of the other… when I think about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>hating me I…I can’t do it… I can’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Why is it so important?” Amity whispered, “Why couldn’t you tell us from the beginning? Luz, we are your friends, you are incredibly important to me…! You can talk to us, to me, we could help, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> can help you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?!” she screamed and held her head with her hands. “How are you going to help someone as horrible as me?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a liar! I’m a coward!” She cried. “And I’m selfish too… I can’t even bring myself to finally say it even if it’s killing me to keep quiet about it… even when it’s all written on my face, even when I know you want me too… I-I can’t say it because I feel like it’ll turn into smoke and mirrors… I can’t risk it… I don’t want it to be a lie…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Luz?” Amity whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “And I’m going to have to go if Lilith convinces Eda… I’ll have to-to leave everyone, I'll have to go and start all over again and I…I-I can’t do that! Not anymore!” Luz said, “If what he said is true… if I have to go away then I don’t want to stay salient about it, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you even talking about Luz?” Amity asked, extending a hand out to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took it and pulled Amity down, closing the distance between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could’ve kissed her there, she could’ve said that she liked her, she could´ve also just said anything and forget about it, induce amnesia, she didn’t need to say anything, Amity deserved more than her, she deserved someone who wasn’t an awkward mess like she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have to show that she knew Amity looked at her differently; she didn’t have to show that she had fantasized about being in her arms with both of them just laughing while staring at each other eyes. Luz could leave it all to be just what it has always been, a cute dream, a chase where she would never… could never catch up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you,” she finally said, “more than anybody else in this world, I like you, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>like you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I… I… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Te quiero</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you so much!” Luz said, holding Amity’s hands. “So...so much and…and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Because I know, I know that my heart racing every time we meet, or how just hearing you laugh can get me to calm down… or how well your hand fits in mine, or… or, or how </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>you do ends up being something so beautiful even if it’s stupid, or dumb or…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and looked at Amity, holding the girl’s hand with all the care she could, begging that her emotions could be felt from under her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Te quiero… demasiado…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz whispered, “And I don’t know what to do with myself… every time it’s worst, harder to keep it at bay… I don’t trust myself with liking you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I’m strong enough to be with you, Amity…” Luz whispered, “You know I’m not…not </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I don’t belong here… I lied to you! How can I go and act like I deserve to be with you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop spitting nonsense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz backed off at that, Amity was crying in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it!” Amity said, “Stop talking like that about the person I like!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you are the person I like, the person that showed me that I didn’t need to live scared! The one that made </span>
  <em>
    <span>brave </span>
  </em>
  <span>enough to fight for something I want! And I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity moved and placed both hands on her cheeks, Luz felt how the strength from before left her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care if you are Belos daughter; I don’t care if you are half-human, I don’t care for any of that… I just care about you.” Amity smiled and shook her head. “I only need you, and my friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-But I lied…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And so did I, for many years, but Luz, you made me stop it, it doesn’t matter who I thought you were at the beginning, or what your name really is… I always thought you were a bit weird, and there was more to you… but it didn’t matter, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>matter!” Amity leaned closer to her. “You are Lucelyn, Luz… </span>
  <em>
    <span>my Luz, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the person who gives me courage, who makes everything fun, who keeps making me crazy, and who makes going to Hexside something I enjoy… my Luz is brave, and kind, and reckless, and slightly irresponsible… she is loyal, and a dreamer… she is the best thing that had happened in my life so far…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity pulled Luz closer and placed her lips on Luz's cheek, the touch was so soft and it sent electricity all over her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…So please… don’t go saying you are not strong enough, or not good enough to be with me,” Amity whispered while pulling away. “I’m so glad… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>lucky</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you want to be with me as much I want to be with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Maybe I want to be with you more than you want to be with me…” Luz whispered back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smirked at her. “Who is the one going </span>
  <em>
    <span>voluntarily </span>
  </em>
  <span>into a mess with the Emperor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…OK, you got me here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed and moved her hand from Luz’s cheek to her necklace, her smile grew softer and she brushed the gemstone on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tried to ignore how </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> had made her feel so warm and cozy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mom really must like this stone,” Amity said, and the implication on that made Luz smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down and shrugged. “She does like the orange color.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means more than that,” Amity replied, “the imperial topaz is a stone that makes your mind stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Luz asked, a little laugh escaping from her. “Never thought Eda would do something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she is just worried and trying to help you,” Amity said and looked around. “Anyway, I think we’ve been down here for enough time, don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked a few times and laughed; standing and placing her hand on the door. Looking back, hiding in a storage closet might have not been a good idea; she looked down at Amity and offered her a hand to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All a gentle-woman are you not?” Amity asked and Luz giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always make me feel like I’m in a fairy tale,” she said back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed and opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could she be so cute after being so smooth?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are we getting out of here, by the way?” Luz asked, looking at the door. “I did get trapped inside… and you just walked in…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked up and took a few deep breaths before answering. “We need to use magic for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be like that, dingus,” Amity replied and pushed her a little before making a spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened a few moments later, Luz saw Amity’s abomination on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Convenient,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and walked outside, pulling her along by their intertwined hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at them and she couldn’t stop her smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Amity?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and advanced a bit more, crossing her arm with Amity’s. “Since I’m ‘your Luz’, does that mean you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! I-I-!” Amity looked away and bit her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t worry! It was-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it’s what you want,” Amity whispered, interrupting her, “I-I don’t mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the girl and stopped walking, Amity stopped too and she was pretty sure they were both like steamy cherries standing in the middle of the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were maybe moving things a bit too fast…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Amity…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Amity!” a set of voices came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They separated as it burned—it may have, actually—and looked back, there were Skara, Viney, and Barkus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gals! Where were you?!” Skara asked, hugging them both. “We got worried!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You disappeared after Boscha broke,” Viney said looking at Amity, “we got worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took a deep breath and shook her head. “S-Sorry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You better be! Willow needs to be distracted right now!” Skara said and separated from Amity and her. “And I’m not the right person to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Gus is making a good job, but his mind is not going to hold much longer,” Viney said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at them. “A-Are you guys not… mad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three witches stared at her and then shared a look before breaking into laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you are our friend, doesn’t matter what that woman said,” Viney said, and Barkus made a sound like a whimper. “He says that it doesn’t matter to him either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara placed a hand on her shoulder. “You were nice to all of us, and even got us to solve a lot of our issues… it doesn’t matter who your dad is, or isn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are our friend,” Viney finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped. “R-Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you,” Amity said next to her and giggled. “For someone who prides herself on the ‘power of friendship’, you have too little faith in your friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at all the people around her and felt how something warm spreading inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The power of friendship, huh?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She should just go with Willow for now, right? “OK, let’s get going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was in the middle of her flight towards the castle after having collected multiple items from a detention station, when she caught sight of the troops making a recognition round, Lilith sighed and got her hand on the sack of her back, pulling a cloak full of leaves and lowering herself to be just over the treetops, the cloak moved and changed colors to match the trees leaves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was surprised Kikimora hasn’t changed the locations of so many magical artifacts yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed through the group with no problem and sighed looking ahead. She was about to get to the castle-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think you are goin’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt something tie itself around her leg and then she was pulled down. She crashed against a few tree branches and barely managed to make a cushion of magic before hitting the ground, she groaned and looked around, ready to attack the person that had landed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until she saw the red dress and the heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She groaned. “Edalyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, sister,” Eda said back, “thought you could leave without me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith glared at her sister while standing up and called her staff, hopefully, her artifacts were-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bag was gone, </span>
  <em>
    <span>great!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just lost an arsenal…” she said and sighed. “Why is always so complicated with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t know, maybe because you never included me and I always had to crash into stuff,” Eda replied, “what were you thinking when sending me that shit and going to the palace alone?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith glared at her sister. “I was thinking that maybe you’d see sense and run away! But I clearly put my hopes on you too high!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you are placing them too high again, but on yourself!” Edalyn replied, “You think that some stupid toys would help you beat him?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were going to fight him without them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he knows what they are and what they do, idiot!” She said and took a step towards her. “Are you really going to go play the big bad villain against the guy who knows all the weapons on your arsenal from inside out?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith opened her mouth and… didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You have a point…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do!” Eda replied and sighed. “Now, let us move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back at her. “I’m getting Luz to a safe place, but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving that bastard just go and try to do this again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinked and walked towards her sister. “What do you mean by getting her to a ‘safe place’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t respond, but the silence told Lilith volumes about her sister's decision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are sending her back to the human realm?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I’m… surprised.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surprised?” Eda repeated, “I thought you were going to say 'proud' for a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t be proud of desperate decisions,” Lilith said and looked away, “those are never ones we should go and make.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hear you sister,” Eda sighed. “Then let us finish his stupid plan once and for all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at her. “You are really going to put yourself into it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am!” Eda said, “I’ll keep the bastard busy while you blow up the palace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith chuckled. “Yeah, right, I’ll handle the Emperor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, you can’t go against him, he knows all your magic,” Edalyn said and summoned a black blade. “But not mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not strong enough now, sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m stronger than you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith bit her lip, the jab wasn’t badly intended, but it had </span>
  <em>
    <span>stung. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Edalyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it Lily?” she said and spun her staff. “I need to prepare to fight, that bastard-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t beat him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith saw her sister stop and turn to look at her. “Hey, I’m tougher than you thi-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>won’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>beat him, Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Lily! I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your curse won’t let you win.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn scoffed. “Lily, I’ve been dealing with this for years, I can-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t win, your curse is far too advance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith shouldn’t say anything else, but her sister was going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>die </span>
  </em>
  <span>if she didn’t stop her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you know about my curse?!” Edalyn shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lilith knew it was too late even before the words left her lips. “Everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know everything there is to know about your curse Edalyn, except how to remove it,” Lilith said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… And why would you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because… I was the one who cursed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Having Boscha calm down had taken three things, first, getting Cat and Amelia to the infirmary, second, having Willow and Skara hold her, and third, moving their conversation to a café and getting the girl enough water before she could put up her story together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had stared at all her friend while explaining it all—yes, half-human part included, if she is going out, better go all the way, right…? Huh, that sounded bad—from beginning to end, Viney and Jerbo were the more… eager ones, to hear it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus just almost fainted half of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you are a princess,” Boscha said once Luz’s story was over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded. “Apparently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emperor Belos daughter?” Willow followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Eda ‘kidnapped’ you from him?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I actually came to find my missing parent…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From the human realm,” Skara said leaning closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz sighed. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From where your other mother is too,” Viney continued, hugging puddles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where you lived until a few months ago,” Jerbo commented and Barkus made a sound. “He wants me to say: and where you also came from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, and yeah,” Luz said and turned to the side, Amity was looking at Luz’s phone. “Don’t you want to ask something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked up at her and then back to the phone, she moved closer to her and showed her a photo of her class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s this?” Amity asked, pointing to the center of the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the photo and grimaced at the sight of the girl that kept giving her nightmares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Zoey, the queen of my old school,” Luz replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why does she look like me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I knew.” She sighed. “But being fair, you are by far prettier than her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blushed a little and looked down to the screen again, she swiped and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… this is the ’human’ you?” Amity asked again and Luz nodded. “How are you cute in every shape you come?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, smooth,” Skara said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blushed and shook her head. “Anyway… you guys are taking this better than I thought…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all shared a look and laughed, Luz stared at them all before looking at Amity who was still scrolling through her cellphone gallery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz,” Willow said, “we’ve basically been living on a different dimension since you got here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hearing this stuff is not all that surprising,” Viney said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus was jumping. “I can’t believe I’ve been talking to a ‘half-a-human’ all this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is so cool!” Skara cheered, joining Gus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz turned towards Willow. “Didn’t you say they would take it badly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I thought they would…” Willow replied, “I guess I was wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you weren’t,” Boscha said and covered all her eyes with her hands. “If I’ve heard of this before today, I’d probably bully the hell out of her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney sighed. “I’d like to have you dissected if you weren’t one of my best friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shivered at those words and sighed, planting her forehead on the table and letting the situation wash over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys, really cool to know my friends are so loyal and amazing…” she muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not friends,” Boscha commented. “But… I got your back, I own you that much, ‘wanna-be-witch’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and looked up at the redhead. “Can’t you say my name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could, but where would the fun on that be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Luz,” Amity called her and put the phone in front of her face. “Where did you get the Azura costume?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I made it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? But it looks professional.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skara and Gus got next to Amity the very next instant. “Let me see, let me see,” they both said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz spent the rest of that day with her friends, answering questions and receiving a lot of comments on her half-human nature and whatnot. She stuck next to Amity all the time while the girl went through the photos, explaining each to the people around her until they had to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was alone with Willow and Amity in front of the former’s house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I never thought of the ‘half-a-human’ part,” Amity commented, “but the being Belos daughter? It was pretty obvious in retrospective.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew about the human part, but Belos was a surprise,” Willow replied, “and now I’ll have a princess in my guest’s room, if my dads were to know about it they’ll freak the hell out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… we are not telling them?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled and bumped her with her shoulder. “I’d keep the info on the whole… ‘royalty’ thing to ourselves for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I kept the ‘half-a-human’?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to have known about that before,” Amity answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I love all… this cute thing, not,” Willow said, “I think is a bit late for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… I guess you are right,” Amity replied and hugged them both. “I’ll see you on Monday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not weekend dates?” Luz asked, “And here I thought we could get that smoothie I own you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tempting, but no, I gotta stay home, my parents are going to be there and they want Edric, Emira, and I to have a… conversation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds rough,” Willow commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be… But I’ll manage, somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and hugged Amity again. “Take care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always,” Amity replied and turned to Willow. “Please keep her under control for tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do my best,” the girl answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you speak like I’m some kind of pet?” Luz whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity laughed and waved them goodbye. Luz watched her go and heard Willow entering the house, but she didn’t move. Her eyes went from the distance where Amity had disappeared to the starry sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could never find the constellations from Earth, but she had found… others, just like she had found actual friends, different from her previous world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish you could see this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz whispered, closing her eyes. “I found a place where I belong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So we got to the chapter of Wing it Like Witches!!!!</p><p>Did you expect fluff, didn't you? Well, I did deliver.</p><p>But I got a bit of angst there, too.</p><p>Now, I said I had things to say, but I was lying, I just wanted to say to you that you are amazing and that I'm happy you are still read this fic! I love ya all my readers. </p><p>Before my internet connection dies again, I'll post, I'll read you later, I hope, please feel free to comment!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Torn Apart Part 1 - The Clawthorne Bloodline's Agony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What to do when darkness is around us and we can't seem to find the light?</p><p>Lilith and Eda had decided to face the worst kind of enemy, and with one of them fighting without a reason to keep going on, and the other one risking everything she had managed to get in life, what can a risky mission into the castle do for them?</p><p>And what will Luz do when she finds about what her family is doing?</p><p>But the truth remains the same.</p><p>Whenever you stare at the abyss.</p><p>The abyss stares back at you.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This week had been pretty normal, for my standard at least.</p><p>Anyway, anyhow and anygays.</p><p>Hello to you and I hope you had a nice time in the time we didn't read each other!<br/>Now, onto the chapter!<br/>The last one was received with a bit of love, a bit of expectation, and some other things.<br/>So today we get into Agony of a Witch adaptation, as always, I'm not going to say much because of spoiler risks, but well, you'll see what is prepared in no time.<br/>This chapter is shorter than prior ones since it's a bit harsher, and I felt like less would be more in this area.<br/>Yeah, that's being mean on my part, but what can I say?<br/>Meanie side goes *burr~*</p><p>Now, please have caution!!!!! CAUTION!!!! </p><p>There is Blood in this chapter, like, a bit more... triggering than usual, so please, please, please, please, please!!! PLEASE!!!!!</p><p>Read with care and be ready for it!<br/>Is not gruesome but it could be something bad for people, please be careful with this.</p><p>Now, no more to add, let's get into it!</p><p>Playlist: Ready as I'll ever be - Tangled the series soundtrack / Open up your eyes - My Little pony: The movie (male cover) / All the good girls go to hell - Billie Eilish</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“The weight of the world is far too big, and far too horrible for any person to carry it… without suffering, or breaking under it.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She received a hit on the face as a reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith groaned and looked at her sister; Eda had her back turned at her, she was shaking slightly, not daring to look at her in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since she had said the truth…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith didn’t expect a parade, nor a nice word, she didn’t want anything nice from her sister… but she expected </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> apart from silence! Edalyn didn’t even try to talk to her after that, she had just stared at her and walked away, not daring to say a word to her the whole night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith knew neither of them had slept.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that morning she expected a rant, a lecture, that her sister screamed at her that in the unlikely case of them surviving she would throw her out the house and blast magic at her while shouting that she never wanted to see her again, that Edalyn cursed her on revenge and then sold her to the Emperor’s coven… </span>
  <em>
    <span>something!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But Edalyn had done nothing, nothing at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, talk to me please…” Lilith said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda chuckled. “Talk? About what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>listen,” Eda finally turned to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith had expected rage, hate, resentment, and even pain… but not the emotionless stare her sister was giving her at that moment… not the bottomless disappointment in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, cursed, me. More than that, you hid it from me,” Edalyn said, “you kept quiet about it for years… you looked down on me because of it, you joined the Emperor’s coven and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hunted </span>
  </em>
  <span>me…! And even after all that, even when we got close again… you let me put Luz in danger by not telling me about this curse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How could that be related?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know it’s getting worse, don’t you?” Edalyn asked back and Lilith flinched. “You know things about this curse I don’t… things that I’ve been looking for years!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn I couldn’t just come and tell you about it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?! We are sisters! I thought that even with you being on the Emperor’s coven I could trust you! I thought you cared about me! About Luz! But all you ever thought was your stupid secret!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her sister wasn’t listening anymore. “What was all this ‘aunt’ thing?! Just a part of your guilt trip?! Like when you gave me that card to talk to me?! What the hell is wrong with you, trying to get me into a coven when the only </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>reason I’m an outcast is because of you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith felt like she was hit by every word and she backed off at each one, Edalyn didn’t move from her place, but somehow it seemed like she was bigger and bigger with every passing second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just kept quiet, leaving me in the dark, letting Luz run unnecessary risks!” Eda finished and shook her head. “I should throw you in a hole and forget you ever were part of my life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…It didn’t matter how much Lilith prepared herself to hear that, she wasn’t ready for it. Her eyes went down to the ground, and she just felt like crying her heart out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t do things right even once, could she?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…But I won’t do that,” Eda said and turned her back on her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked up so fast her neck hurt. “W-What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya heard me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-But why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda got her hand in her hair and took it out with a bottle of her elixir in it; she looked at it before downing it on a single movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t protect Luz from myself,” Edalyn said, “but you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stared at her sister for a few seconds and then it dawned on her, the implications of that simple sentences were like an avalanche.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, I can’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you have to, and you will,” she interrupted her. “Lily, I’m not sure how long I have, I don’t even know if my power is enough to keep her safe anymore, but I know I can’t just sit and wait for that monster to come and take my kid from me… so if you really did this shit and I’m supposing you want to make amends, you are going to promise me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>swear </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me that you’ll put Luz’s safety over mine if we survive this stun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith gaped. “Edalyn, I cannot do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to!” She shouted, and held her by the arms. “Lily, Luz, and King, and Hooty are the only things in my life that I care enough to ask you to do this, King and Hooty will be OK but…but Luz won’t, she is hurt, and alone, and she had gone through a lot of things… she can’t be alone, I won’t let her get hurt because of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know I’m no-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare to finish that sentence!” Lilith said and released herself from her sister’s grip. “You are her mother, and it wasn’t like you didn’t have a choice, no, you choose to be there for her! You love this kid? Then you are going to be that stupid, stubborn, and tackles woman I know you still hold inside you and you are going to fight!” Lilith held her sister by the shoulders. “I’ve made many, countless mistakes, but protecting you and Lucelyn, protecting </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>you that have now, was not one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, I’m dangerous-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are going to turn into a beast, so what? It’s not like you don’t do unmeasurable damage everywhere you go now,” she interrupted Eda. “Listen, I’m here, you want me or not, and I’ll fix my mistake, I promise you that. But we are going to keep Luz safe, </span>
  <em>
    <span>together. </span>
  </em>
  <span>If you let me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn stared into her eyes for a long time… and she sighed, laughing a little before getting Lilith’s hands off her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are my sister if you can talk like that,” Eda said, “we are not good, but I’ll take your help, Lily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith nodded. “I’ll do all I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, please…” Eda closed her eyes. “Swear it to me, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Edalyn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, I need this,” her sister </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleaded. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I…I can’t go on if I don’t know Luz will be fine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stayed there, standing in silence for far too long, waiting for her sister to come to her senses… but it was pointless, Edalyn wasn’t joking, she didn’t doubt that, she wasn’t changing her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Lilith did the only thing she could. “I…I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had had a pretty… normal night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somewhat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viney and Gus were both now ultra-interested in her and her biology, culture, and others, and that was fine…!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except when they blasted her scroll all night long with messages where Viney had asked about human medicine, while Gus just kept bugging her about her phone, out of that, her life was pretty much the same as before Kikimora had come to break through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, that was before she got to the house and found King panicking in the middle of the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” King cried and jumped at her. “I was so worried!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Worried, why?” She asked and looked around. “Where’s Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King sobbed a little—she couldn’t believe he was literally crying!—and shook his head, getting down to the floor. He walked to the kitchen and Luz tailed him, she saw the burned spot on the counter and the pot with—what she supposed was—last night’s dinner untouched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda received a letter from Lilith,” he replied, “she read it and started talk nonsense, and before I could say anything she just…!” King looked down and stomped. “Left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda left?” Luz asked, “you think Lilith’s in trouble?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we all are…” King said and walked to the cabinets, getting inside and coming out a minute later, the portal key on his paw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz knelled down while gasping. “Why is that here? Eda never leaves it out of her sight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She told me to use this to keep you safe,” King said and gave her the key. “And that once that I did… I should destroy the portal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! Why would she say that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know! But she did and then she just went off, like a mad-woman! I don’t even know where she went; only that she said she couldn’t risk fighting the Emperor with you on the line!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But this is Eda we are talking about, that doesn’t make any sense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think I don’t know that?!” King groaned and started pacing. “I don’t get that woman anymore, first she tells Lilith that she’ll fight with everything she has to protect you and our home, but after she read that stupid folder, she was just so scared!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head and stood up, there had to be an explanation for all of that!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left the kitchen and ran upstairs, sprinted down the corridor to Eda’s room, and entered without a second of hesitation. The place was the same as ever, the little mess on the corners remained untouched, there was nothing out of the ordinary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except for the lack of the elixir boxes that Eda had been buying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz ran to the closet and opened it, the box there was also empty, all the bottles she could find were already emptied as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening here?” she whispered and turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left Eda’s room and went to her own, the place was exactly as she has left her the morning before. She tried to calm down, to think of where Eda could’ve gone and why wouldn’t she have come back already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was never out for a whole night ever since Luz had enchanted Hooty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do this like this…” she groaned and took out her scroll, checking the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t even midday yet, Eda could come back any second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Please, be OK…” Luz whispered and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a shower and got changed, waiting for Eda all the time she could without getting worried, but King’s state wasn’t helping her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little demon was pacing back and forth, his little paws didn’t make the image any better.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where are you, Eda?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and dropped herself on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had just managed to get King to take a nap; her mind was now not letting her keep her cool. Eda wasn’t anywhere, and she didn’t seem to be coming back anytime soon…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just what had happened?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and took the portal’s key out of her pocket, looking at it carefully and feeling pressure on her chest, impeding her ability to breathe easily. Just what did Eda read? What had Lilith discovered?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on…?” she whispered and stood up, walking outside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Luz!” Hooty spoke. “What brings you out here, Hoot-Hoot?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled at the house demon and sighed. “I’m worried ‘bout Eda, she hadn’t come back in all day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but that’s normal! She went to pick a suicidal fight, after all, Hooty-Hoot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know but-” she stopped and turned to look at Hooty again. “…What did you say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said ‘Hooty-Hoot!’, Hoot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! The other thing,” she rushed and held Hooty by the sides of the face. “Where did Eda go?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hooty freed himself from her. “Ouch, you don’t need to be so rash, Hoot-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did Eda go Hooty?!” she shouted and the demon stopped, backing off away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She went to the palace to fight the Emperor!” he replied, “Something about not being able to risk you, I think, Hoot-Hoot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s pulse dropped and she felt as if someone had just hit her on the stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did what?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said she went to fight the Emperor! Geez, you don’t hear pretty well, do you?” Hooty said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t have time for that stupid conversation anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sprinted inside the house and rushed upstairs, getting into her room and taking her bag, opening it, and taking out the four decks of cards she had managed to make, looking at them before stuffing them on her side bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” she heard King’s voice. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back at the little demon and felt a rush of shame for forgetting about him—even for a second—in her panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to help Eda,” Luz said and stood straight, looking at him. “She is in danger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let me go, too!” He said, “I’ll prepare my most powerful weapons and-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t let you come, King.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at her. “What-? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and looked down, Eda’s necklace shone with the light coming from the corridor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is too risky for all of us to be there together,” she said, looking up. “I-I need you to stay and hold the fort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! Luz, you can’t go out there alone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t have you running risks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not my mother! I’m a big demon, I can take care of myself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and took one card, dropping it to the ground and stepping on it, the vines grew from below King and held him, pinning him to one wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, King,” she whispered when passing next to him. “But I won’t let anyone else risk their lives for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started running, not caring about King’s screams for her to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to save Eda, she had to fix things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to face Belos herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was sure that the stupid plan her sister had was going to fail miserably, and yet, she couldn’t come up with anything on her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Talk about frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So they did as Edalyn said, moving during peak hours on the shifts, taking advantage of the caravan that transported the criminal witches to the castle for their punishment. Lilith wasn’t happy with that, using the condemned to hide their entrance?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe her morals were showing up a little late if that bothered her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where to now?” Lilith asked, taking her sister’s arm and pulling her to one of the few blind spots on the castle hallways. “I doubt you want to face Emperor Belos on his throne room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn nodded and looked around. “We need to get to his ritual chambers,” she said and pulled her along to the main set of stairs. “If you read the same thing I did, you know his plan needs to be stopped if we… if I’m going to put Luz in a safe place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The strain on her sister’s voice made Lilith cringe, the resignation, the repressed pain… those were never things she could connect to her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the love made changes happen to people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll beat him,” she said, taking her sister’s hand. “And you won’t have to say goodbye to your daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn looked at her and smiled a little before shaking her head and making a movement with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lead the way, sister,” she said and Lilith nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath before starting the ascension.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking through those hallways had been her life not so long ago, and yet, sneaking around with her sister was making her feel like it was the first time she ever went there. She knew every turn, every step, and door, and still, something was… off. Like a shadow lurking in a direction, she couldn’t remember possible before, of how some bricks seemed out of place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily,” Edalyn called her and she stopped. “Are you sure we are going the right way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith blinked and looked around; she moved by pure reflex apparently. She studied her surroundings and a shiver ran through her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are close,” she whispered, “is just down this corridor,” she said and started to walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Eda moaned. “Why did he have to build the place in the far end of the castle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To avoid distractions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or rescue attempts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stood in front of the metal door of the sacrifice room for a second, maybe two, before Edalyn pushed it open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Lilith had been inside of it many times in the past, there was supposed to be the petrification statue and other forbidden relics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was nothing of the sort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s all these?” Edalyn whispered, advancing inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was in a sinking of the third floor, the entrance being on the fourth floor gave the room an impressive amount of space. She stared at the contents of the room, anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a giant pillar of white metal and stone, parts of similar-looking material were all over the ground, and she could even see some cables… and there was the other thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A mist-crystal mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So he already has all this?” Lilith whispered, glaring at the object. “We need to destroy it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to trash all this place,” Edalyn said from behind her. “Any idea of how? I don’t want to use up all my magic before facing the stupid no-face…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That won’t be a problem,” Lilith heard and she tensed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up, and heard her sister scream before she tackled her, they rolled on the ground and got separated, Lilith’s back crashed against the metal pillar and she gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That thing was hard!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Impossible…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was in the doorway to the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda moved when she heard the first spell go off. “Lily, get down!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jumped over her sister and barely avoided a mass of wind and flames that completely obliterated the column next to them. Eda looked up, and found not only the bastard of Belos there, but also his little compact secretary… and a small army, all of them pointing their spells at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So nice of you to come and turn yourself in, Lilith, ‘Owl Lady’,” Belos said, “but I do wonder, what would’ve you come here in such a short notice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda growled and blasted her own spell, making a giant spell circle and breaking apart into smaller ones, letting bolts of lightning take out the small army Belos had reunited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came here to take you down,” she said when all the extra forces were down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora moved one step ahead. “My liege, please allow me to discipline this fool wild beast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, please, like you stand a chance against my sister,” Lilith said, walking to stand beside Eda. “You can’t even beat me, much less her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled. “Did you just admit I’m stronger than you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More powerful, yes,” Lilith replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora wasn’t amused by her comment. “You two stupid set of-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, Kiki, there’s no need for that kind of reaction,” Belos said, pulling her back. “Stay, still,” he ordered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the demon woman just flinched and stepped back like a small pet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, ‘Owl Lady’,” Belos said, “where is my daughter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda greeted her teeth. “Luz is nothing of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet, we stand here,” he replied, walking to the void and descending on an invisible staircase. “Have you, perhaps, reconsidered my offer of taking your curse away and hand her over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s reply to that question was a blast of magic lightning towards the man’s face, Belos blocked with a single finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take that as a no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a ‘never in fucking lifetime!’ you knucklehead!” Eda shouted, “I won’t let you invade the human realm with her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos stopped his advance and stared at her. “Say that again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I read your archives!” Eda said and made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>massive </span>
  </em>
  <span>spell circle. “Your plans end here! I won’t let you get to the human realm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda prepared her spell, ready to blow the stupid </span>
  <em>
    <span>palace </span>
  </em>
  <span>apart… when Belos laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared, and looked at Lilith, her sister was equally confused as her, she even looked at Kikimora, and the single eye of the demon woman left in evidence that she didn’t understand what was happening either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You think my plan is that </span>
  <em>
    <span>boorish?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Belos asked and shook his head. “What gave you the stupid idea of an invasion being on the Titan’s will?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at Lilith and Lilith at Kikimora, which didn’t pass unperceived by Belos, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiki,” he said slowly, “you were looking into my record again, by any chance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon woman started to shiver. “M-My liege…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos moved his head and Eda saw how the magic moved from over Kikimora’s head, pushing her down to her knees, her face smashing itself on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t get to look into my archives,” he said, every word had an ice edge to it. “You are just a mere </span>
  <em>
    <span>servant </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I am the only one! Who hears and makes the Titan’s will a reality! Don’t go making ideas of yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tensed at the rage in those words, Belos who had kept the perfect and pristine attitude was </span>
  <em>
    <span>enraged </span>
  </em>
  <span>by Kikimora making a mistake?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now… you are most certainly mistaken, ‘Owl Lady’, therefore, won’t you reconsider?” Belos said, recovering his passive act. “Hand over my daughter, and I’ll cure your curse… and, if you give me the portal from where she came from, I’ll even pardon both, you and your sister’s crimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Well, that came out of nowhere,” Eda said, “if you don’t plan an invasion, then, what are you trying to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s of no consequence to you, is it?” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And felt something shifting inside her, a simple switch, but it sent a rush of electricity through her entire body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda bit her lip and fought back a reply; she simply couldn’t understand what she felt, an aversion to the idea of Belos ever touching the human realm, something on the back of her head was fighting to get to the surface of her conscious mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Even when I’d love to stay, my home’s there, sorry…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s mind stopped and the words left her lips before she could even process them. “I won’t let you get there, not now, not ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her for a long time and sighed. “I thought I’d never had to hear those words again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Again?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought and felt a rush of pain down her spine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What in the-?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> “But then again, beasts don’t learn new tricks without training,” Belos said and snapped his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s spell dissolved into nothingness and she didn’t have the time to react before the black chains of Belos’ spell got a grip on her limbs and neck, pulling her down to the ground and smashing her through it, and pulling her through a wall too, she even heard Lilith’s scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda coughed and felt something hot on the side of her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was bleeding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we’ll ever get to an arrangement,” Belos said, materializing a few feet ahead of Lilith and her. “So, this is goodbye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his arm and Eda heard marching, she looked by the corner of her eyes, they were on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking bridge </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get to the castle! The bastard pulled them through basically all the place!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get Luz and the key from the ‘Owl House’, or whatever you call that sad shack,” Belos said and vanished in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tried to pull up, but her magic was still recovering from the spell she had done, she could feel it, too. The ‘Owl Beast’ pushing the boundaries of her control over her body, trying to take over her rational side with its wild essence.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“There has to be something!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, fighting the restraints, and looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to do something to save Lilith and herself!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she saw nothing but soldiers point their magic at her; and the void under them full of spikes. The bridge was devoid of any cover, any escape route that didn’t involve flying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was trapped, without strength to gather her magic, and with counted time…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…She couldn’t get out of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that realization made her feel like crying. Really? Her luck had run out at that moment? Not before? She had gotten away with so much more impossible stunts, those were meaningless, but still harder, and she had lost it all to a piece of fake information on Kikimora’s notes to be a better general?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m just a joke…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry Luz… I couldn’t protect you…” she whispered and sobbed. "I guess I’ll go on now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda felt the heat coming from the magic attacks and prepared herself for the impact-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she heard a scream. “I’m not letting you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she opened her eyes, finding an ice wall in front of Lilith and her, all the coven guards had stopped attacking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked up and saw </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was standing on top of the ice wall, facing the battalion of soldiers with a mass of flames in her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came here to talk with your boss,” Luz said and raised her hand over her head, the mass of fire growing. “So go and call him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz, don’t do anything stupid!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, trying to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was too late when she heard his voice: “Don’t need, I’m aware of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda felt something closing around her limbs and heard Lilith’s scream, she looked to where Luz was standing, next to her, on the far end of her ice wall, a mass of red light took place, and then, out the thin air, Belos stood in his robes and perfect mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s so nice of you to show your face,” he said, making a swift movement with his hand, raising a wall of stone between them and the soldiers. “I was beginning to think I should do something more… elaborated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz didn’t budge. “Release them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? You know I can’t do that, daughter of mine. They are criminals, a wild witch, and a traitor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reacted at that, taking out a glyph card and throwing it towards Belos, the card didn’t change, and Eda tensed, Belos left the thing fly by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz snapped her fingers, causing it to </span>
  <em>
    <span>explode.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…” Eda whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smoke cleared and Belos was standing there, and he was… tense?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are getting craftier,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to blow you up,” Luz replied, “let my family go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are not your family, are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are, at least unlike you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got Belos to act.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had to jump aside to avoid a set of black chains to tie her, she fell a few meters before throwing a card downwards, snapping her fingers once more, and the card shone and from the wall of ice, a slide appeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I did tell her to practice forms but…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, smiling. “She is something else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz landed next to them and smiled at Eda. “You really needed to go on a suicidal mission for my sake without me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Wat can I say? You got to my head,” Eda replied and Luz laughed, pacing a fire glyph on her chains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flames burned them surprisingly easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that, please?” Luz asked, while moving to release Lilith too, “I don’t want to be alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you are in luck, my child,” Belos voice came. “You’ll never be, anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There is a little moment before a nightmare becomes a reality that makes your heart realize you are about to lose everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda was experiencing just that when Luz got pierced through the chest with a black and red mass of magic and fell backward, on Belos grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” She shouted and tried to move, but the pressure got to her neck, pushing her down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, there’s no need to worry,” Belos said, “I just gave her something to control her temper.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda roared at him. “Get your dirty and sick hands off my kid you bastard piece of-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a hit on the face and rolled a few meters, coughs and spitting blood, she looked up to find that the person who had kicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had been Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like my little spells are working wonders already,” Belos said with a little singing tone on his voice, “it’s just a provisional measure, but it’ll suffice until the full moon tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at Luz, how her posture was different, her shoulders were shaking as if she was in pain and her head was hanging down, the necklace she had given her wasn’t shinning anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been really troublesome to have her being so… carefree, with her duties,” Belos said and there was a hint of mockery on his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to her?” Eda asked, groaning, her whole body was so heavy!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed </span>
  </em>
  <span>and moved to the side, letting Luz stand on her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just made her what she was supposed to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz rose her head, her eyes were black where they used to be white, and her irises were a bright crimson red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz snapped into her senses and tried to move, but her limbs were all tied up by chains, and she was cold, trapped inside something worse than ice. It stung her, every inch of her was tensed and </span>
  <em>
    <span>freezing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she heard Eda’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and saw Eda in front of her, she was shadow fighting chains, and she was sweating and… she was hurt?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?” she asked, but her voice came so distantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Eda said and turned towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz wanted to run towards her, but she couldn’t move a single inch, she felt something, a distant sensation of having something on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? You are far stronger than I expected if you can talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos voice was a cold shiver running down her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to move, to jump away from him, but the chains held her in place, she looked at him and wanted to glare, but her face was… frozen, she couldn’t… she couldn’t…?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to me?” She asked, and she finally realized her voice was toneless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos chuckled. “I’m really impressed, I should have guessed it, I couldn’t place everything away, but your eyes and voice-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Fair enough.” He sighed. “I’ve given you a corrective spell, your attitude was unacceptable, so I fixed it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are… controlling me?” Luz asked, rage forming in her chest, but never reaching her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but it seems like I couldn’t pull it all off,” he said, “you are remarkable to be able to resist my spell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tried to look at herself, but her neck wouldn’t budge, she could only see Eda in front of her, struggling against a shackle on her neck and Belos next to her by the corner of her eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her go,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you need to understand I can’t do that, she is a threat to the Coven system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s bullshit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to control your language.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you couldn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That earned her a slap, and Luz wanted to scream, but her throat wouldn’t budge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like I’ll have to do the take over after all, and here I thought you’ll be able to get the situation once I got you to calm down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos shook his head and turned his back on her. “You’ll know on its given time, now, we should go-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw a blast of the magic crash against Belos and making him fly until he hit the side of the castle, her eyes following him until he stood up, and then she was able to look back at the source of the magic attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was standing, blood running down her lip, neck, and side, the gem in her chest was even darker than before and she was sweating so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t… think… I’ll let you manipulate my kid…” she said, her breathing uneven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos moved and Luz’s eyes followed every part of it, how he rose his hand and a mass of red magic blast itself like a bullet against Eda. Luz wanted to get in the middle, but her body didn’t move, Eda tried to jump to the side, but a black chain emerged from her shadow, keeping in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw how the magic cut through the side of her abdomen and </span>
  <em>
    <span>screamed </span>
  </em>
  <span>when Eda coughed blood, falling to her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been a problem since the beginning, ‘Owl Lady’,” he said and stood up, coughing a few times. “Your sister couldn’t live up to you, could she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes went to Lilith, she was being restrained not only by the dark chains, but also by Kikimora and multiple guards, she was gagged and </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying, </span>
  </em>
  <span>desperately moving under the restraints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’ve had enough,” Belos said, “and your time is finally up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Luz asked and Belos cracked his neck before looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her curse finally took control,” he said and moved his head higher. “She won’t be a witch much longer… just a beast, well, she always liked to act like one, so there won’t be a difference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo-You are happy with it…?” Eda said and Luz looked at her, she was smiling. “You needed me to be this… weak, to beat me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos sighed. “I do not think of beating you as a personal win, ‘Owl Lady’, this is but the Titan’s will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep… telling yourself… that…” Eda flinched and groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her wounds are bad,” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos made a humming noise. “Yes they are, but once she is a beast, that won’t be anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched how Eda coughed blood again, her mind fighting with the stupid chains to regain control of her body, but she was paralyzed, nothing she did affect her state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was getting colder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was when she noticed it, the dark space around her eyes, her vision narrowing, darkness taking a hold on her, slowly, painfully, and inevitably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda…” she said, but that time her lips barely moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked at her and smiled again. “I’m sorry, kiddo,” she said with a broken voice and watery eyes. “I couldn’t protect you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and felt the pain before something snapped and she felt like sinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t on her body anymore, but in an infinite dark abyss, the chains now visible, attacked with hooks to every part of her body, holding her still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” She screamed and her voice echoed in the void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she knew it, that her lips… that her body wouldn’t show her desperation even if her words were shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her body wouldn’t show her suffering no matter how hard she screamed, or how badly she wanted to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…I feel like you are crying, kiddo,” Eda said and chuckled. “Even though his stupid magic you can’t but show who you are, can ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” She cried out, “Eda, resist, I’ll-I’ll find a way to help you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hardly possible,” Belos said from behind her. “Her curse is really something else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” She screamed at him and looked back at Eda. “Please…Please… I-I can’t do this alone…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled and raised a hand, making a spell circle. The spell started to make small lights, one by one, all of them flew up to the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You remember these, right?” Eda asked, “the first lesson I thought you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you are recurring to that,” Belos said, “you’ll just run out of magic faster, are you that desperate to become a mindless beast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those words got Luz to panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fought the restraints, but it was useless, she was a spectator. “Eda, no!, No! You gotta stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t, kid.” Eda smiled at her, the gem in her chest turning darker every second. “This is my power… and before you came by I spent all my life wasting it, so now I’m gonna do a good thing of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Eda!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen carefully Luz, I want to give it to you… the same thing you gave to me…” Eda said and coughed, more blood came out. “You… you gave me </span>
  <em>
    <span>light</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Luz… when I was living in a dark place… I-I felt like I wouldn’t ever be someone worth of anything… but you? You gave me everything I could want…” Eda chuckled and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t think I’ll be bouncing back this time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it! You are the ‘Owl Lady’! You always bounce back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” Eda whispered, “I already lost my family once, and I didn’t have a choice back then… but I’m going to make a choice now, and I’m choosing to give this to you… even if it’s little…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No! Eda, I need you! Don’t do this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz's heart finally broke when Eda’s eyes started to turn black, the fang grew bigger, the feathers covered all her neck… and a new tear started rolling down her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only thing I regret, kiddo. Is that I won’t have the chance to spend more time with you, with King, and Hooty… with Lily… it was fun, really fun…” Eda sobbed. “Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda roared and Luz felt a hit on her stomach, she was being pulled into something?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fought harder against the chains. “Eda! No… no!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not worry, Luz…” Belos voice came from the back of her head, “I’ll have her placed in the gardens for you, once she has paid for her crimes with petrification.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No! Stop it!, Stop it!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, her mind slipping from her grasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was getting lost… she was losing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” Eda said and she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying</span>
  </em>
  <span> in front of her. “No matter what… remember, this isn’t your fault, Kid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda…!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at her before the light left her eyes completely. “Thank you, for being in my life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” Luz screamed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mamá!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fell face-first to a black room, the place was devoid of everything but a bed and a mirror, she looked at her reelection and bit her lip, closing her fist so hard that it hurt her hands and she started to hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No…” Luz whispered, closing her eyes and smashing her forehead against the ground. “No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lost, she was trapped, she was captive, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone…!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>…Belos beat her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda was the cost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, baby sis?” Emira asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and closed her eyes, lowering her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt like a stranger on the stupid dress her mother had prepared for their dinner. She cracked one eye open and stared down at the aquamarine, puffy and uncomfortable fabric before looking up to her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure,” she said and closed her fist on the fabric. “I don’t like this thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that makes two of us,” Emira replied, looking down, she had an exact copy of the dress herself. “At least Edric got off with a suit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t call it ‘got off’, have you seen me?” Amity heard her brother’s voice and chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edric was wearing a suit right enough, but the collar was far too puffy with a handkerchief acting as a tie, and the jacked just had to have shoulder pads, making him look like a snob cone of mint ice cream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I wouldn’t die to wear that either,” Emira said and let out a sight. “It’s just for tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And tomorrow’s morning,” Edric commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just what I needed…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, biting her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her parent’s rarely decided on having those dinners and breakfast and when they did, nothing good came out of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had had one when Amity started in Hexside and was put on the abominations track, they had one when the twins had one bad score on a test and had been forced to push their friends aside for six months to make up for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had one after her birthday, when she broke ties with Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think it’s this time?” Amity whispered, hugging herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of her siblings answered, and they didn’t need to do so, the possible causes for that dinner were as plain as day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her choice during Grom, deciding to be friends with Willow again, the attack on Hexside, the carnival date, the encounter with the Emperor’s coven in the forest of the knee, the mess in the library… her lost in Covention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing good, nothing at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We won’t get anything done if we stay here wondering,” Emira said and placed a hand on her shoulder, probably too scared to ruin Amity’s hair before meeting their mother. “We are going ahead, need a few more minutes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled at her sister and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Mittens get a little delay on her suffering, we’ll get through it,” Edric said and walked to the dining hall door. “Please, don’t take too long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity watched them walk through the door and sighed, closing her eyes once again and trying to muster the courage to move her feet. But her head was running all over the possible scenarios where her parents—her mother, mostly—would push her around like always, making her do things to be her little ‘perfect daughter’ and just leave all she cared behind. It wouldn’t be the first time…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a shivering breath and looked up, ready to face the music… and saw the little ball of light on the window by the corner of her eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart rushed a bit and she moved towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She thought and saw her reflection, that stupid, silly smile took a hold of her face. “I can’t believe you would-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped her words the moment she noticed there was nobody out there, it was just little light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked several times and stayed there a few minutes before deciding to open the window. Once she did, the small mass of light flew towards her and stopped next to her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was Eda’s voice. “Luz is in danger, Belos got her… and I’m gone,” the little light said so faintly that Amity could’ve thought it was her imagination. “Please…Please save her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small ball of light disappeared after that and Amity felt a cold shiver run down her spine, her eyes looking dead ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the next things that happened were all so fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She summoned her scroll, saw Willow’s message about Luz being in danger, she saw Gus’s message too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she jumped out of the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her family dinner would have to wait, she wasn’t stalling like before, she wasn’t staying out of the picture because of what others might say about her behavior, she wasn’t stopping herself because of fear anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had made her brave, right? So be it then, no more settling down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to see Luz!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was in a dark room, a really dark place and the air was so damn cold, but dry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A horrible combination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was unable to talk, her words got cut out every time she tried to open her mouth, every single movement was like trying to push sand that held her in her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her head was killing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long had she been like that? A day? A month? A Year?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t tell…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she doing before anyway? Wasn’t she supposed to be doing something… </span>
  <em>
    <span>important?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But what could that be? Ugh, she’d had to ask-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Who?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who would she have to ask? What should she ask that person again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who was she again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was… she was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…She was hungry…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could eat a demon, or two, maybe three? Fuck it, she’d eat four!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But why did her head hurt when she thought about it? Ugh! She needed answers! She needed-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…What did she need?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Having fun, ‘Owl Lady’?” a voice came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With those words she felt something in her head, the pain got worse and worse and worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted it to stop!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted it to disappear!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted it to leave her </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I won’t be doing that, no,” the voice came again, and Eda finally saw more than darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t mean she liked the view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there,” Belos said and Eda </span>
  <em>
    <span>growled.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You do live up to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>savage </span>
  </em>
  <span>nickname now, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want from me?” Eda asked, and blinked, somehow it felt… strange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos shook his head. “I guess the curse does mess a bit more with your head than what I estimated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Curse?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have her body, she was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the ‘Owl Beast’?!” she shouted and tried to move, but the restraints were too powerful for her. “Let me go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I wouldn’t have a problem with that,” Belos replied and leaned closer. “But I’m a firm believer of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>quid pro quo, </span>
  </em>
  <span>so I won’t be doing it for the mercy of my heart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda glared at him and opened her mouth, a roar came out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I admire your resistance, even though it’s quite useless,” he said and sighed, “you know what I want, ‘Owl Lady’, you just hand it over, and I can lift that nasty curse you have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t give you Luz!” she screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos laughed. “Oh, but that’s not your decision anymore, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos cocked his head to the side and snapped his fingers, a door opened somewhere and Eda heard steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t prepared to see Luz standing next to Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she screamed and tried to move, but the restraints got stronger around her body. “What did you do to her?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos laughed. “I just gave her a little push, in the right direction, that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You bastard, slimy son of a-!” Eda felt a wave of magic push her down, closing her mouth when her chin hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, ah, ah. We have a child present, don’t we?” Belos said and patted Luz on the head. “I thank you for keeping her in shape after my last one on one… visit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… broke her… arm…” Eda mumbled against the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That I did, you did an exceptional work patching her up,” Belos cheered, “her body is quite sturdy even if I say so myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos snapped his fingers again and Luz shivered, she moved, but every single motion was slow and it looked like she was… suffering. She walked to stand in front of Eda… and she stepped on her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is quite the good kid now,” Belos said, and Titan!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sounded </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy! </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“She obeys without hesitation,” he added, snapping his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz pressed harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it, you piece of trash!” Eda shouted, “She’ll break free from you, and you’ll regret messing with us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos chuckled. “She will ‘break free’, you say?” He asked and shook his head, “Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda watched her kid turn around to look at Belos, and then he said a single word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bleed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was forced to watch how Luz seemed to fight the other, but she raised her hand nonetheless and got her index finger to her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she bit, breaking the skin of her fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What are you doing to her?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, glaring at the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, no need for such a hateful stare,” he said and snapped his fingers again; Luz looked at her, before she moved away and stood next to Belos again. “We can all avoid these horrible situations… if you decide to cooperate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos got closer and kneeled in front of her, looking at her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want the portal, and I’ll forgive you, and your sister, and those lousy kids that helped Luz all those times,” he said, “I’ll even lift your curse, and I’ll take my troops away from ‘Bonesborough’ so you and your little community of scammers, petty thieves and lowlifes can be whatever you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at the mask in front of her with incredulous eyes and a new sense of terror blooming in her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why would that man want a portal to the human realm so badly?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t… seem… to keep your… word,” Eda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I haven’t been the most trustworthy, true,” he said and stood up, “but you don’t seem to have any choice, just like before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Before?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eda thought and growled. “I won’t… ever let… you… do what you… want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Because you don’t seem to hold any kind of… power, now,” he commented, “why don’t you share with me the little trick you taught Luz? The magic that doesn’t require hers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s glare grew more intense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No? Then what about when did she come? I’ve been looking at her for a long while, but I could never have imagined that she’d come through your portal, when was it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t respond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…That neither?” He said and leaned closer, “Then just this… was it worth it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda growled her words. “Every </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>second!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos stared at her for a long time before he left out a long sigh turning his back on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s so sad that you seem so attached to being a </span>
  <em>
    <span>beast,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said, “but I’ll respect it, after all, I’m merciful for the lost souls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snapped his fingers and doors opened again, Eda heard multiple sets of feet getting closer and she tensed when recognizing the boots and capes of the newcomers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take her away, she is to be petrified with her sister,” Belos said and the Conformatorium guards secured her with chains. “It’s been… interesting, ‘Owl Lady’, do not worry.” He looked at her over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And even with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>mask, Eda knew it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was smiling!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be taking good care of Luz,” he said, “just like I did before.”</span>
</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now my ppl, I went full evil here. But it's not like you didn't see it coming.</p><p>But yeah, I think sacrificial plays are weak, like, really weak.</p><p>So I went for shattering hearts altogether. Belos is a backstabber, no surprise there... or there was? Dunno.</p><p>So, as I said, this chapter is shorter. You can guess why? I'll be reading your suppositions.<br/>So now that we are into "Agony of a witch" you know dark times had come upon us.</p><p>Luz's self-harm (does it count? I dunno, but I'm playing it safe and calling it that) under Belos control is playing hard on your heads? No?<br/>I don't have much of a comment after all this, please be aware of the content and I hope you liked this short chapter, and I'll be reading you next week as always!<br/>The "Flames and Lights" series is still going, I'm just a bit stuck with editing, but it'll come through, I promise, see ya!<br/>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Torn Apart Part 2 - Lucylen Clawthorne, Luz Noceda, And The Emperor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luz is trapped.<br/>Eda is gone.<br/>Lilith is incarcerated.<br/>And King all alone.<br/>What can Amity, Willow, Gus, and the unlikely addition of Klaris do now that the Clawthorne family is broken and slipt?<br/>And what's Belos real plan, if not the stun Kikimora had thought?<br/>What does that mask hide?<br/>What is really to come?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Notes, notes, notes.<br/>To be honest with ya, I'm kinda sad about this story ending, so my notes are building, and building into things I do not know how to say, so I'm not saying much.<br/>Today we have another short chapter with a lot of feels, as always if you notice something with my English, point it out! That way I can get better at new projects! (Yeah, I have some already in progress, but the feedback would make them even better than anything before, so... please?)<br/>Not anything else, I'm happy for the comments, and new ones are coming, new things keep piling up and I'm hoping you get the shock I was aiming for.<br/>Playlist: Dangerously - Charlie Puth / Be prepared - Scar (Lion King soundtrack) / Scream  - Zack Efron [I think, dunno if he really sang it, but I want to think he did] (High School Musical 3: The graduation Soundtrack)<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and it's characters do not belong to me, this story is made with the sole purpose of entertaining its readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“If you ought to bet, do it so it’s like you are betting your life.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>And if you ought to trust…</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Make sure that they are betting theirs.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow had run like her life depended on it when she received Eda’s message.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been in the middle of her dinner when the light ball entered through the window and she was sure by the looks her dads sent that she had paled right then and there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t stop her feet after she got up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran through town, hoping that it was some kind of horrible joke that Eda had decided to try, that the pain in those words… that the desperate plea was nothing but a ruse to bother them and that both Clawthorne would be in the ‘Owl House’ laughing and waiting for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her hopes died down when she heard the scream: “Open the stupid door! I gotta see Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed the last tree that covered the view of the ‘Owl House’ and found herself witnessing Amity in a—horrible, but she didn’t have time to judge her poor fashion sense—torn down dress threatening Hooty with a mass of purple fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, you stupid house demon, where is Luz?!” Amity shouted and the fire grew brighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity, wait!” Willow shouted and ran towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teal-haired witch flinched and put the flames off, turning to look at her, she lit up a bit but her happiness didn’t last, a frown and worried eyes replaced it immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!” She said and hugged her, “Where is Luz, is she OK?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a shivering breath and shook her head. “I don’t know, I came running from my house…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes two of us,” Amity groaned, she looked at her and a little chuckle came out her lips. “You have sauce on your face, dork.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Willow touched her cheek and cringed at the sticky feeling. “Well? I’m not the one who came out of a ‘who wore it worst’ episode,” she replied, “what the hell is that dress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t say anything else, what’s with that woman and the greens?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They laughed a bit and Willow shook her head, moving to stand between Hooty and Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hooty, where are Eda and Luz?” Willow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No-uh, King told not to share that information with you,” the house demon said, “he said we’d be ‘best friends forever’ if I didn’t tell anybody that Eda and Luz went to the palace to fight with Belos, hoot-hoot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They what?!” Willow and Amity shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hooty blinked at them. “Oh, shucks, I told you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow didn’t ask Hooty to open the door and pushed the damn thing open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The house was the same as always, but the candles were off, the usual sounds coming from the kitchen weren’t there either. Willow took tentative steps inside, still hoping for Eda and Luz, maybe even Lilith to jump out of nowhere and laugh at their faces of worry and rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But nothing came, and Willow had to face the alternative.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King?!” she heard Amity shout and saw her move towards the stairs. “King!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you calling him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hooty said King told him to not open his beak,” Amity replied, “so the little idiot must be here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow nodded and walked towards the stairs herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and looked back; Gus was pathing on the door, his upper vest wrongly bottomed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wi-Willow…?” he asked, walking in, “Where’s Luz, and Eda? What was that stupid message?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gus, calm down,” she said and held him by the shoulders. “Eda’s not here, neither is Luz, Amity just went upstairs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity’s here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me go, you crazy teenager!” Willow heard King’s scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it seems she is not the only one,” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow had seen many weird and funny things, but Amity on dress threatening King with a ducky-sock? That would have to take the cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No time for this.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, walking up to them. “King, where’s Luz? What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already heard from that stupid face down there what happened!” King yelled at her. “They left me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda and Luz! Who else?!” King glared at him. “Both of them just used stupid words, and ran off to Titan knows where without me! Luz even tied me up so I wouldn’t follow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz did?” Amity said, lowering her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King scoffed. “She did, and then she ran, saying she’d go to save Eda… but neither of them came back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tensed and looked at her friends, Amity was biting her lip while frowned, looking back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you haven’t heard anything, at all?” Amity asked, her voice shaking.</span>
</p><p><span>King snapped at that. “No! They </span><em><span>left</span></em> <em><span>me! </span></em><span>I don’t-! I don’t-!” he glared at them until tears began to form in his eyes. “…Who am I kidding? I can’t even say ‘I don’t care’…”</span></p><p>
  <span>“King…” Gus said walking up to him, “I know it hurts, but they did this to protect you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be protected!” King shouted and backed off. “I want to be with my family! I want to be there when we face danger even if I’m useless!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow took a step ahead. “But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No ‘buts’! Why can’t people get it?!” King turned his face away from them. “I know I’d be a nuisance… I know I’d probably get in the way, but I don’t want to stay back and wait for their return.” He looked back at them. “I want to take a stand with my family and tell anybody that tries to separate us to </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>off and leave us alone! Together!” He sobbed a bit, and a whimper escaped him. “I… I want to be with them…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow bit her lip and raised her arm to reach out for King, but lowered it the very next second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What could she tell him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was there for her best friend because she cared about Luz, but King was so… desperate, so alone and so hopeless. He was literally losing more than just a friend or two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we go get them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked and looked at King, but the little demon was surprised, too. Willow then turned to Amity. The teal-haired witch had her eyes on something, she followed her sight and found herself looking at a picture hanging on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A picture of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a simple frame, a single shot, where Luz was between Amity and Willow on the sofa and behind Gus who sat on the ground, the four of them smiling at the camera while King Climbed on Luz’s head and Lilith along with Eda stood next to the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are crazy,” King said, snapping Willow back to reality. “They are about to fight against the Emperor, the most powerful witch who ever lived!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked down at him. “So, what then? We just abandon them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity,” Gus said, “he is the Emperor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care!” She said closing her eyes. “He is just a jerk dad who attacks his daughter and then acts like it’s not his fault!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She is not wrong.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought and shook her head. “But we are just kids, and he has an army!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve fought worse things than an army,” Amity pointed out, opening her eyes and looking at her. “At least I have… we faced a greater Basilisk, we fought a basic war against Grom, and every time something like this happened, Luz had to stand alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity shook her head and looked down, her hands closing around her dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She had to get hurt so many times because nobody was there to stand with her,” she said, “we- </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>was always too late to get to her, to help her… but not anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you are picking a fight with the Emperor?” Gus asked, “Just to be perfectly clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Amity replied and raised her head, her eyes blazing with determination. “I’ve faced this man before, and he is not almighty. I’m going to go and look for Luz, even if I have to do it alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked at the girl in the eyes and frowned. “Even if you could end up as a criminal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even if your future could be destroyed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even when all you ever wanted is on the opposite choice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to be Luz’s girlfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow! She got you there,” Gus cheered and Willow smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Amity barely blushed and held her gaze, stopping Gus’s cheers and making Willow gape a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The plant witch smirked. “So you are not embarrassed about accepting that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was planning to ask her since she seems too dense to do it,” Amity said with a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are incredible, it’s almost like you aren’t the girl who dropped her lunch two days ago when Luz hugged her by surprise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got Amity to light up like a candle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop bringing that up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” She sang, “I need a distraction if we are going to be most certainly killed or vanished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still you can’t just-! Wait, what?” Amity blinked several times at her. “Y-You are coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow nodded. “I’m not leaving my best friend fight alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I really want to see the oracle sphere!” Gus said and Willow glared at him. “What? You already said the part where we are not leaving Luz alone, I’m just adding stuff to do, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow chuckled and heard Amity giggle. It was ridiculous, they were going to fight a battle against the only witch in the isles that you never picked a fight with!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just a month and a half ago she was wondering what to do with her abomination class!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You three are crazy,” King said, and Willow—and Gus and Amity too, she supposed—looked back at him, “and reckless, and simply stupid! Are you really going to go through with this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus was the one to reply. “Yes, I mean, our friend needs us, and she already saved our lives at least once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even when you are about to ruin your lives regardless of the result?” King asked, crossing his paws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our lives were pretty much horrible before Luz,” Amity was the one to reply that time. “Mine was… so I think Luz is worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is worth six tons of sugar and rainbows for you, roots.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity’s serene look turned into one of rage. “Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let him be, he is just a baby,” Willow said, holding her friend by the arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King didn’t enjoy her comment. “I’m not a baby!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure act like one,” Willow said, “look, King; we are going to go for Luz. She changed us for the better… she is our friend, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my best friend…</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m not giving up on her without a fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held the demon’s gaze for far too long and even though she would just scream and them and try to kick them out of the house for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he looked away and shook his head while uncrossing his little arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it…” King sighed and moved his paws. “But we need to be careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We?” Amity asked, “I thought we were crazy and reckless and simply stupid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you are, don’t try to be smart missy,” King replied and shook his head. “But Belos has my </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m not standing to the sides and letting him take ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow smiled at the demon. “So, you’re coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am, Belos is going to face the rage of I the ‘King of Demons’!” He screamed and looked at them. “But you could tidy up a bit? It’ll be embarrassing to walk around with you lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he had to drop the other shoe, that was King… although…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was wearing a horrible and already torn apart dress, Gus had his vest wrongly bottomed, and Willow herself…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably do it,” she said, rubbing her cheek, the sauce still on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Gus said, opening his vest a bit, “Oh, dang, my bottom broke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fell off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, broke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity cleared her throat and made Willow look at her. “I kinda ran from home with only my scroll and what I stand on,” she said, “what am I supposed to wear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow blinked and looked behind the girl, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, girl,” she muttered, trying to keep her laughs down, “I think you are going to like my answer… or maybe not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finally… the day has come…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked back at Luz and chuckled to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl stood like a statue on the side of the room, behaving in perfect accordance with who she was supposed to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At long last,” he said and walked towards her, “you are just what I needed… and for years you were kept away from me, after all the trouble that was to wait… after the hassle and the long years…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos still remembered it, the night when it was all taken away from him, all because of something as foolish and non-consequential as </span>
  <em>
    <span>love.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But now the waiting is over…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the door opening and sighed, his victory will be much sweeter when actually completed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” he asked, not caring to look at the soldier who had just entered the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora was still… indisposed; maybe he had gone a tad overboard… a well, it was inconsequential.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wouldn’t need her soon enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege, the chambers have been prepared,” they said, “do you wish us to escort your guest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think I’ll do that myself,” he replied, “be gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, my liege.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos cracked his neck and turned back to Luz, holding her by the shoulder and moving his hand, the space around them shone in red for an instant before they vanished and reappeared on the insides of the cambers they had prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was quite simple, a big bed with the best sheets they could find—that was his order—and a single window, no desk, no drawer, no chairs, just a closet, and a night table. The clothes he had asked for rested on the bed, perfectly placed and in a pristine state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll need you to get changed,” he said and looked through the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The night was still young, and the moon was just rising, the air around the castle was just right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today will be a great night…” Belos said and looked at Luz. “We’ll be together for a very long time after tonight, so you better say your farewells, if you still have someone to say them to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t reply, and he laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I almost forgot,” he said and walked to her, holding her face and making her look up, her eyes were glowing with his magic alright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no light, nor fight, no resolution on them anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are alone, just like the last time… and the time before… without anyone who would come and save you this time… your luck, is, over,” he whispered and released her. “Change yourself into the appropriate clothes and be ready, I’ll send someone to get you when the time is right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tapped into the magic around him and used it to warp away, vanishing with much more ease than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving people with him was such a troublesome thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the soldier down the stairs and repressed a sigh before looking at the center of the yard. There, in the middle of two torches was the dark mirror, he nodded and transported down to be in front of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moonlight would be perfect once the celestial body reached its place in the middle of the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a bit more…” he whispered and closed his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Just a bit more and I’ll be free to do as you please, Titan.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He just needed to be ready for that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris was an anarchist, somewhat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She loved fruit bread, who could expect her to be sane?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did follow Lilith around for a long while, and she even got inside the castle for her, found about a conspirator and about a plan to invade the human realm, all while she tried to free a criminal, even when she wasn’t sure about her being innocent or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yes, she was all about to make some bad decisions when she entered the ‘Conformatorium’.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lilith might be hot, but I’m not sure she is worth all this…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, looking around the cells.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She liked Lilith, and Eda, and Luz. They were all great, but none of them was worth a risk that put her life in danger and her lifestyle in jeopardy… still…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Invading the human realm, huh?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was confused about that one, to begin with, the portals to other dimensions were lost, most of them, how did the Emperor know that Eda had one?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alright, Eda sold ‘human treasures’ it was a valid association.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the idea of invading? Klaris wouldn’t be close to a city that considered such a thing. The ‘Boiling Isles’ had a history of bad conflicts, and she was happy to live in a peaceful era, hell, she would say that she was fine with being a coward, it was what kept people alive!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But a war, and invasion against a world that they didn’t fully know or understand? That would only lead to pain and suffering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ‘Owl’ thing is making a ruckus again,” she heard one of the guards when she passed the common cells.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and looked at the pair, the other one—she supposed, all the low ranking members had the same clothes—shook their head and took a spear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are going to have to hurt it a bit more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris cocked her head to the side. “ The ‘Owl’ thing?” she whispered and watched them go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked to the rest of the cells and considered what to do. Lilith and Eda could be wherever inside that place… but that guard had said ‘Owl’, what were the chances of Eda and Lilith being in other direction?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! It has my foot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… There she is…” she sighed and went after them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She followed the voices of the guards for two corridors and passed next to a pile of broken equipment when reaching the most threatening door in the entire place.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The Petrification chamber…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and swallowed hard, opening the door slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found a… peculiar scene inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a beast like no other, its wing hitting the guards that tried to flank it while it attacked the front row of people with its claws. The creature was big and powerful, mighty even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it had Eda’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” she whispered, seeing how Eda—she supposed it was Eda—knocked out a few guards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited and looked around the contention cell, the place was a mess, there were weapons and stains all over the walls and the floor, Klaris felt like throwing up just by the smell of some of the stains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to turn around and leave for another room when she caught sight of the small, shivering movement in the dark. She looked at the fight again and slammed herself against the wall, bordering it and walking further inside the room, it was dark and cold, but the low temperature wasn’t what managed to get to her and make her start to shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith-?” she asked and covered her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eldest Clawthorne was chained to the walls of the room, her clothes stained and dirty, but complete, her face was swollen and her hair was a mess, she looked so… tired, and she didn’t seem to be conscious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was breathing, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why do I like such a woman?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Klaris thought and dropped to the ground in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her wounds—nothing really dangerous, but most of them looked really uncomfortable—and started to heal them. She looked back at Eda, she was pushing off the guards with relative ease, her new form seemed to be powerful enough for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris closed her eyes and considered her situation, her options.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t a—known—criminal yet, she could turn around and forget about it all, she could just, find another crush! Or get a new job or-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“L-Lucelyn…” she heard Lilith’s little </span>
  <em>
    <span>plea, </span>
  </em>
  <span>“please… please… be safe…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Argh…” she whispered, stopping her healing magic. “Woman, I swear to Titan-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cut herself and stood up, turning to where Eda was now growing at the guards that ran away while piling up the unconscious ones to the side of the room. She walked until she was close enough to her Eda mumble some things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” She said and dispelled her magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The beast—Eda, she was Eda—turned at her. “Lily’s girlfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you remember my name?” she asked and groaned, “Not important right now, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…We lost,” Eda replied and looked away, “Belos got Luz, and Lily was down before I knew it, and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris nodded, walking closer. “He did this to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…” Eda looked at the end of the room, probably at Lilith. “She did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is a long story,” Eda shook her head and looked down at her. “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris sighed and gave out a tired smile. “I’m just this bad for your sister, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Lily does have a taste I guess… well, sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I get out of this alive I’ll tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I feel like you are lying?” Klaris asked and Eda chuckled, “Do you have a plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No.” Eda sighed. “And I need to go for Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris nodded and looked around the place. There was only one reason to put witches in that room in specific, and it wasn’t a good one, they had a time limit, probably, before Kikimora came around and started to scream orders about using the petrification device.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to act,” Klaris said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We?” Eda asked, “Listen here, glasses, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you do know that after this there’s no turning back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at her and then to Lilith, and closed her eyes. She thought of all the witches she saw entrapped in the cells, all the times she had seen the Emperor’s coven acting like they owned the place, all the suffering she had been seeing all those years in the archives-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-All the possible pain that man could bring to other people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but I ought to try,” she said, looking at Eda, “the Emperor is trying to do something horrible, and I’m not letting him.” She smiled and made herself disappear. “So I guess I’m helping you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What-? Glasses, wait-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t wait, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran out of the room and dashed down the hall to the place she was sure she’d find what she needed. She took multiple turns and turned many corners, but managed to finally reach the metal door she was looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The armory… and the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Time to play a bit with those potion basics class.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, cracking her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus was not really convinced of what he was doing with picking a fight with the most powerful witch ever, but he was rolling with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of his best friends was in danger after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he was trying to keep the seriousness of the situation on top-notch priority, moreover, because he was the one maintaining the illusion that made them invisible and had let them get so close to the palace after that super dangerous trip on top of Amity’s abomination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was so hard to do when Amity was blushing so bad!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it,” Amity said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus fought back a chuckle. “What? I’m not doing anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are enjoying this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t stop doing that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity groaned and hid her face on Willow’s shoulder, using that much magic that would drain anybody, but having to have Willow carry her w</span>
  <em>
    <span>hile </span>
  </em>
  <span>wearing one of Luz’s sets of shorts, leggings, and the carnival’s jacket?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The poor girl… he was going to mock her a bit more once they were safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop your chatter, we are here,” King said and smacked him on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you hitting me?” Gus hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On whose shoulders I’m riding on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped the little demon. “No one’s, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are we getting in now?” Willow asked, “I don’t think you can just get us inside with illusion magic, can you, Gus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I could I’d probably drop Hexside,” he replied, dropping their little camouflage, “I’m about to run out of juice, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were on a small clear close to the abys that surrounded the castle, the bridge was down, surprisingly enough, but the security on their way there was heavy, with Emperor’s soldiers all over the place, and it wasn’t less than that what they saw on the edge of the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we need to wing it?” Amity asked, standing on her own. “Why I’m not surprised?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because we are doing this for Luz?” Gus asked and moved closer to the bush that covered them from the sight of the guards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess that explains a lot…” Amity said and fixed the green jacked a little, squatting next to him. “Any ideas?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe we need a distraction,” Willow whispered, leaning over Gus’s head. “But I don’t think we can make something big enough for this many guards to go away-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was an explosion in the distance, Gus turned and saw the giant ash clouds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Amity asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did it happen?” Willow followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who cares? Now is our chance!” King said and Gus looked at the demon before looking ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus bit his lip and took both girls by the wrists. “He is right!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Emperor’s soldiers were moving, rushing from their posts to a winged cart. He dropped their hands and made a spell, a curtain of blue dust covered them, making them disappear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We only have three minutes!” He whispered/shouted and ran faster. “Come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They just needed to get inside before his magic broke down, that was easy, right? They did it all the time in movies!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Whatever happened? Thanks!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gus thought when they passed next to a frantic group of soldiers on the bridge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We are going, Luz!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith woke up at the sound of a wall falling—she didn’t want to think about how she could recognize </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>—and metal falling to the ground…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And of course, the roar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head snapped up and she was faced with the black eyes and the fangs first, then she saw the rest of the face, the chains, and the wounds. She glared at those and then to the side, the guards came in, all from the Emperor’s coven soldiers, and all of them had lances and mazes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Control the beast already!” the one that looked like the leader of the squad said. “The Emperor ordered that she must be turned into stone, but not that she must remain unharmed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Lilith said and started to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her shackles were on the ground, she glared at the guards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? You were supposed to be restrained!” the leader said and Lilith smirked before glaring at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I guess this is really bad news for you,” she said and summoned her staff. “Now… what were you going to do to my sister?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop… Stop her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith made a spell circle with her staff and blew, the air became a powerful wave and it sent the soldiers through the wall. She reached for the back of her neck and flinched when taking the damn piece of scrap that had stopped her before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A tranquilizer…” she whispered and dropped the thing, smashing it. “Kikimora still has nasty ways of acting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that was why you were mostly unharmed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith tensed and spun around, preparing a blast of magic when she felt a pair of hands-on hers, she blinked and looked to the front; the empty space shined a moment before showing a robed figure and a set of grey eyes that she recognized immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say my name so loudly!” the other hissed, looking around. “You may be a recognized criminal, but I’m trying to remain anonymous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” Lilith asked, “You are becoming an enemy of the Emperor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no news there,” Klaris said and released her hands, walking past her. “You really think I’m going to let him invade another dimension? I’m not allowing-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a lie,” Lilith interrupted her and got her attention back. “Kikimora was the one who thought they were going to invade when Belos told her about it, but that’s not his plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… not?” Klaris asked and she nodded. “Then why in the Titan’s name would he want a portal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but I’m not planning to find out,” she replied and turned towards her sister. “But I don’t know how I’m going to help her…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris took her hand and Lilith found the woman smiling. “Oh, I think you’ll find a way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, why are you two being so cheesy in front of me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith turned and gaped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Edalyn—the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Owl beast </span>
  </em>
  <span>Edalyn—asked, walking towards her. “Are you broken, Lily?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and placed a hand on her sister’s cheek. “Ho-How is this possible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not by a miracle, that’s for sure,” Edalyn said, “when that bastard got Luz, he did something to me, he played with my mind and got me to recover control of myself, but… well,” Edalyn looked down and moved her wings. “He certainly wasn’t looking for me to be a threat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn…” Lilith whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, he asked me about the portal, and about Luz,” her sister said, “he didn’t try anything else, and he was… tired, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emperor Belos, tired?” Klaris said, “I’ve heard it all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m just saying,” Eda said, “he looked like me when I was close to losing it to the curse… like his power was being drained.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Maybe it was,” Lilith said then, “he is always taking the energy of the Palisman from wild witches.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does what?!” Both Edalyn and Klaris asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can discuss his horrible acts later,” she said and sighed, “the point is, I think Emperor Belos might be using his power on another spell, so he is weaker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must be what he did to Luz,” Edalyn said and growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith frowned. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn looked at her and sighed. “He got Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be so surprised yet,” Edalyn said and turned to the hole Lilith’s spell had made. “He is using some kind of control spell on her, she couldn’t react, or move… but the bastard made her watch…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith froze and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It must be his possession spell…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Klaris asked, “No, it can’t be, he used it once and then forbid it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you two talking about?” Edalyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The spell the Emperor used,” Lilith replied, “if Lucelyn couldn’t move, but she could talk back, then it could’ve only been the possession spell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! It could’ve been a lot of other things!” Klaris said, “Like a suppression potion! Or control spells! Or submersion!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor wasn’t around when Lucelyn showed herself,” Lilith replied, “I was conscious until he came when Lucelyn called him out, even if I fainted because of Kikimora’s dart, he still wouldn’t have time or preparations enough for any of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can any of you two explain what the big deal with that fucking spell is?!” Edalyn shouted and Lilith looked at Klaris, the brunette bit her lip, looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a spell that seals the thoughts and the feelings of the target,” she said, “it takes time, but when the spell is completed when he does a ‘take over’… Lucelyn will cease to exist</span>
  <em>
    <span>.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-What?!” Edalyn said and her feathers, hair… all, went into alert. “That’s impossible! What do you even mean with ‘cease to exist’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean that Lucelyn will forget any emotion she held towards us or anyone… her mind will be stolen from her, her personality, her memories… all will be trapped inside her and the one in control will be… will be Emperor Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn gaped, but it didn’t last, she turned to the side and roared, before destroying the wall with a single slash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of fucking sick spell is that one?!” she screamed and turned towards them. “Hop on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at her sister and nodded, getting her staff to disappear, and turning to Klaris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s better if you leave now,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at her and bit her lip. “What are you saying? I’m not-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klaris,” she interrupted her, “I’m happy you came to save us, but this problem is not anymore a public thing… this is a family issue, and as much as I want to be with you, I know I’m asking too much for a two weeks relationship if I were to ask you to come with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette looked at her and moved her hand to her neck, pulling her closer and kissing her desperately, Lilith melted on the kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to be waiting,” Klaris said, “so be sure to come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiled and nodded. “I’ll try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to her sister, leaving the goofy feeling inside her; she frowned and jumped on Edalyn’s back. Her sister didn’t wait for anything else and ran through the wall, jumping and taking flight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really suck at this!” Lilith said when they almost crashed against a tree, she looked back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“So we were in Conformatorium.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, sorry! But I didn’t have wings a few hours ago!” Edalyn shouted, cutting her thoughts. “…Lily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it that spell?” Edalyn asked, and her voice was tainted with utter fear, “That bastard will really do something like that to Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith took a sharp breath and closed her eyes. She had seen that spell only once, the Emperor had ordered that the leader of a ring of criminals was delivered to him, the witch had been a troublesome one, their mindset on burning the coven system down without caring about the people they hurt in the process, and they weren’t talking, no matter what they did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing worked… until the Emperor </span>
  <em>
    <span>enslaved </span>
  </em>
  <span>them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had made that spell in front of Kikimora and Lilith herself, it required a black mirror, a powerful curse, and a huge amount of magic, but it gave the Emperor complete control over the mind, body, emotions of the person… Lilith still remembered the horrors that the witch went through only because of his orders…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she also remembered how they had died for him when he gave them the order after exposing their friends and companions in arms like their cause was nothing but empty words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I’m mistaken Edalyn, I do…” Lilith finally said, “but I’ve seen what the Emperor is capable of, what he will do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn got higher. “Then is Luz-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is not lost,” she interrupted her sister, “the Emperor needs a really specific set of conditions to perform the spell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Conditions? Like what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith closed her eyes again. “A black mirror, a night with a full moon, the person he wants to control needs to have a curse and it needs to have his… blood…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, blood?!” Edalyn replied. “How does that spell even work? Blood magic and curses are things you shouldn’t play with!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith fought back her answer on the area, considering what she had done, and opted for just answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… he needs the person he is about to control to drink his blood… or to have it inside their bodies so it can act correctly.” She covered her mouth. “The spell would take days to be completed… unless…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and started to sweat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless, what?” Edalyn asked, and her voice was shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith swallowed and glared ahead. “Unless he gave the person more of his blood…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to be wrong, really! But the pieces just kept placing themselves in her head, every part of it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Just made it scarier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The maternity books, the magic connection books, the studies about magic resonance, the way he tried so hard, all of it…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is trying to take over Lucelyn’s body </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she whispered and felt like throwing up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Why? What reason could he have to take over her body?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The possible answers seemed to be even scarier than the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn’t think about it, it wasn’t happening!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, go faster,” she said, “we need to stop him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah!” her sister replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith braced herself and started to build up magic inside her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You are not taking a Clawthorne as your own!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at Luz with care; the girl had been stripped from her old clothes and was now wearing something appropriate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are just one step from being ready to play your part,” he said and walked up to her, cocking his head to the side to appreciate her combed hair and the little braid that held it in its place. “And the time is almost here. So, come along.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved to walk behind him, the white cape and black books making her look like a soldier, but the blue and gold dress marked the astonishing difference she had from the other people in the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was to be respected if she was to serve the Titan, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos stopped in front of the door to his chambers and indicated Luz to stay outside before he walked in. the place was filled with books, most of them were those who ended up being useless, but the ones he had used, the ones who helped him prepare were already there open and waiting for him on the worktable at the end of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Along with his staff, and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>medal.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So long, and we finally get the time to finish our business.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought and took both, his staff vanished into a reddish fog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the maternity book on the side, that one had been the only one who cared to explain the right way to resonate magic with a child to improve both involved parties’ strength. He nodded at it and walked out, moonlight coming from the window in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The time is really close…” he whispered and turned to Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl was a standing statue, but Belos knew it was only appearances, that his spell was not completed and that she could break Luz if he were to get careless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The seal on her arm was also getting weaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been avoiding me for a long, </span>
  <em>
    <span>long </span>
  </em>
  <span>time, Luz… but now is when we finish, and we pay all our does… you, specifically,” he said and stood in front of her, his eyes going to the necklace she was wearing. “I think we need a little… upgrade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his hand and the orange stone floated over her head with all and its chain, he looked at the little handy work and chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Little tricks from little witches,” he said and looked at Luz, “but I guess I can allow you one last shed of connections to your past… regardless, you won’t be wearing it anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He placed the necklace on her hand and then moved, he held the medal over her neck and the ends of it moved, getting out a black chain that closed itself around Luz’s neck, the piece of odd metal falling to hang just like the gemstone had done before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos nodded and hummed at the sight, before turning around. “Seems like we are mostly ready…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege,” he heard and looked to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora was up, still beaten and with patches, but up nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, Kiki?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora swallowed before she replied. “The Black mirror had been prepared… and the soldiers are ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see, well, that’s quite the good news,” he said and snapped his fingers, a bit of his magic reached out to Kikimora and the wounds on her skin disappeared. “Now, I need you to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped and fought back a cough, closing his eyes and feeling his chest, the pressure becoming stronger and greater with every beat of his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Take Luz to her room,” he said, controlling his body the best he could, “she needs to move… get her to prepare herself a bit more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More?” Kikimora asked and looked at Luz, “But she is ready-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you defying my orders, Kiki?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was enough to send her away with Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked back inside his room and closed the door, walking to his little stack and cracking two Palisman open and consuming them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was abusing his luck…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soon this won’t matter…” he whispered and took a deep breath. “Soon I’ll be ready… ready to fulfill your plans, Titan…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just needed everything to work with Luz, and then? Then he could haunt that portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not a problem ‘Owl Lady’,” he said and sat at his work table, his eyes wandering to the crystal key and the broken piece of a handle. “Soon, nobody will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes and left his magic flow, his chest hurt him, but it was worth the risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should at the very least visit one last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was tired, really tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t even sure why she tired, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes wandered around the room, it was dark and cold and devoid of </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She was sure she wasn’t supposed to be there, but somehow, she didn’t feel like leaving, she didn’t feel like it was a strange space even when she hadn’t been there ever before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt… familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello…?” she said, and her voice echoed the place, but there was no answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like always.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like she was meant to be…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did it hurt, then? Why the pain in her chest wouldn’t subside as it had always done? Why wouldn’t her heart just accept it? Why wouldn’t she just let go of the pain as she had always done?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you just stop…?” she groaned and held her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a laugh on the back of her head. “Being greedy is such a horrible thing, do you agree?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and saw a mirror in there, the crystal was black, but she didn’t think it was due to the room. The mirror didn’t show her a clear reflection, but a shady figure, and it smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome, Luz,” the figure said, but that red line that acted as a mouth didn’t move. “Is so nice to finally be face to face…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Who are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure chuckled and then started to laugh, each second that passed, the laughs got louder and the crystal shook as it’ll break any second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s with this kid?!” the figure said and stopped, its ‘mouth’ vanished and the red came back as two spirals on the place where the eyes should be. “Fine… let’s play for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took a sept back and the mirror moved, it was fast and it made her cringe, she turned to find the thing just in front of her. She jumped to the side and tried to run, but her legs got caught in something and she fell, landing not in the ground, but in the crystal of the mirror, the figure laughed at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you running?” it asked, its shape-changing, “We are just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>playing!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt like something held her still while the shadows started to vanish from the shape, Luz saw cinnamon skin, red, lightless eyes, and red-brown hair, all together with a twisted smile and a white robe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, me,” the figure in the mirror said, “you think I look cute?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt like throwing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on, I think I can pull off the white!” the figure on the mirror said and snapped her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fell backward and landed against the ground, in front of her stood the mirror and the figure of herself, but it wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” she asked, trying to stand, but her legs wouldn’t hold her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure of the mirror smiled and snapped her fingers again, the mirror grew bigger and she leaned in, the clothes underneath the robe showed up, a black and blue dress that reached barely over her knees, with a set of black pants and boots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m you, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>better </span>
  </em>
  <span>you,” she said, “I’m what the Titan wants me to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A… a better me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” the mirror her sang, “you can call me… huh? I think I’ll go with ‘Princess’? Yes! It’s cute and it’s fitting!” she said, spinning over herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the Princess and bit her lip, something about the image she was witnessing felt repulsive, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a mean thought of you,” Princess said, her cheerful attitude dead and replaced with a cold aura. “But then again, I think it’s justifiable, not everyone has the will to leave everything and follow the glory the Titan has in store for them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Titan…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That changed the air around Princess again; she smiled and squatted in front of Luz, leaning closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Luz! The Titan’s will is there to make you reach new heights, to show you the real purpose of your existence!” Princess said and her smile became softer, but no less threatening. “I’m here because the Titan chose me all those years ago, all those moons before this one to reach this moment! Take my stand as the one who guides them all to glory!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz paled at those words and the way she had said them, something in her head snapped and the fear took over her body, the full force of the implications, the possibilities-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos…?” she whispered and the Princess stopped, looking back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she-</span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> smiled with the happiest expression she had seen, along with a bush shinning instead of those dead eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, Luz,” Princess said, “I’m glad you could catch up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How in the damn-?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not the time to curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity turned a corner and jumped behind a huge potted plant, she glared at the thing before looking around, she was relieved with the lack of guards.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where did those three go?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and bit her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was just walking behind Willow for Titan’s sake!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they had to hide from a guard, then there was that explosion that shook the entire palace, and then Amity had jumped inside a room with the open door, just to come out in the middle of a cloud of dust that got raised by the shaking of the building to find that her friends were gone! Just how irresponsible could they be to leave her behind?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Right, maybe she did make a mistake there, too, but please! They should’ve waited for her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow, Gus… </span>
  <em>
    <span>King, </span>
  </em>
  <span>where are you?” she whispered and turned another corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to even take stairs up multiple times to avoid getting discovered! She couldn’t believe she was in the palace of the Emperor, to begin with, and now she had to deal with being lost inside of it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be prepared!” she heard a shout and tensed, looking ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora walked by, her head down and her eye fixated on a scroll, Amity paled and looked around, there was just one door close to her. She looked at Kikimora again and dashed towards the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please don’t be locked, please don’t be locked!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, turning the handle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened and she almost sighed in relief before entering the room and closing it behind her. She leaned on the door and covered her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is not good for my heart…” she whispered and lowered her hand. “Where am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around the room, it was… cozy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was something like what her mother would like to see, really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard a sound coming from outside and tensed, looking around for a place to hide, but the damned room was barely decorated!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move along, we are almost ready,” she heard Kikimora say and her heart just picked up the pace even more!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity moved so fast, smashing herself on the ground and rolling under the bed while covering her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard steps, and even managed to see the base of the door moving, three sets of feet came in and two left. Amity tensed when the remaining person walked to the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they didn’t sit; Amity heard something touch the ground and the person moved towards the door. Her eyes traveled the ground and something caught her attention, a little reflection in front of her, and she gasped when she recognized the object.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s necklace…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s impossible!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought and felt a sudden rage burst from inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How dared the soldiers to take something so important?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She crawled and prepared her fire spell, ready to blast the face of the idiot who thought stealing from a prisoner was funny. She kneeled and aimed for the head of the soldier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who removed the hood, showing her the cinnamon skin and auburn hair she had been looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Luz?” she whispered, putting off her spell and leaning closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Luz, but not the one she looked for, the black-blue dress and the white cape, the perfectly brushed hair and even the make-up, nothing on it was Luz, even her eyes were different, the red glow…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What did they do to her?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought, covering her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, princess?” Kikimora asked, and moved aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for Amity’s horror, Luz smiled. “Yes, Kiki.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The demon woman seemed stunned, and Amity understood the feeling all too well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s voice had sounded so… strained, but happy, like two people speaking at the same time. Luz </span>
  <em>
    <span>giggled </span>
  </em>
  <span>and spun around, then, her eyes landed on the necklace once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The joy Amity had seen died and something felt… wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was sad, or she seemed like she was, even when the smile was still on her lips, it was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>unfair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Princess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going, I’m going,” Luz replied and closed her eyes, “it’s time, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity watched how Luz fixed her hair and kneeled, taking the necklace and looking at it before putting it inside a pocket and turning to the door, she started walking out, her head high, but her eyes never leaving the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” she whispered and moved to reach her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she stopped when she saw the number of guards and other soldiers waiting on the other side. She hid once again and covered her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was a hostage in all the senses of the word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity waiting until the door was closed again and then moved, her legs shaking and her mind trying to make out the situation they were in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was supposed to be imprisoned, right?! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So then why was she wearing fine clothes and acting like she was part of the damned coven?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Even more so…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz wasn’t OK, she was, she was strange, not being able to act freely, it was like she had been forbidden to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>sad</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she couldn’t do anything but to agree! She was like-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Like a doll.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s something I would know about…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought bitterly and shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to the closet and walked towards it, opening the door, she found Luz’s clothes there, along with her side bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on in here…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kneeled and made a spell circle, getting Luz’s clothes to fold themselves until they were as tiny as they could be, and she then tied them together and got them inside the jacket’s pocket, she then looked at the side bag and hesitated just a second before taking it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was heavy; Luz still had glyphs to spare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and tied the thing to her hip just like Luz always did and then she glared at the door. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards it, leaning on it and placing her ear on top of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was silent on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz, please be safe…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, opening the door and walking out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now, she needed to find Willow and Gus.</span>
</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I'm pulling my hidden cards!<br/>But yet, yet the payoffs are just coming, and they'll keep getting here.<br/>Short chapters that work as settings, but anyways, I hope you liked the chapter, I gotta start editing the next one right away.<br/>Back to the top notes, please tell me if you notice something off with my English (if you can be specific I'd really appreciate it, I'm not a native speaker, so I do need pointers. I can't emphasize enough about that.)<br/>New project are undergoing writing, re-writing, editing and trying to figure stuff, but that's a story for other time, for now, let's concentrate in the final big 3 chapters of this story!<br/>I'm cutting myself here before I drop an Spoiler, so I hope you people have a great week, and I'll be reading you soon, I hope! (Oh, I have and Instagram now for the art I make, right now is fairly small and only has some pics you've seen in this fic, but yeah, the account now exists.)<br/>G_U out~! Peace!<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Torn Apart Part 3 - The Wandering Witch And Belos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Darkness and Light can't exist without one another.</p><p>So, the day must always come from the night.</p><p>In the middle of the darkest moment they've faced, can the Clawthorne and their allies find the strength to reach the dawn?</p><p>Can Luz, look at the light, again?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Second, to last is out, and I'm not going to lie, I'm sad and happy about it, so I don't have any comments but the fact that this week was horrible but I couldn't leave you without a chapter because of my brain telling me not to.</p><p>So, here we are!</p><p>Now, today we are getting some answers, and I hope you can enjoy them!</p><p>Also, this story will be getting changes in all its chapters!!! Like, no, I'm not rewriting it outright, nope!</p><p>But I'm adding scenes and the playlists of the first 11 chapters, as well some little doodles of art for the first eleven chapters, which chapters are getting art and scenes?</p><p>I'm not telling, but just so you know, If you want to ever re-read this story, it'd be a bit different from what you remember!</p><p>Now, not much more, let's get on the train of feels I've prepared for you! Aso, please do know that this chapter has Kikimora and Lilith's interaction and those are a bit adult-like in a sense that could be uncomfortable, but they are not really necessary for the overall plot, so you can skim over it and just continue, I hope you understand and you can enjoy the story avoiding the content.</p><p> </p><p>I'm being extremely clear, please be careful with the content since it's just like 4 sentences, but I don't want to bother anybody, so please, please, be careful while reading Kikimora's and Lilith's interaction.</p><p>Please!!</p><p> </p><p>Playlist: The Immigrant song - Led Zeppelin / Bruises - Lweis Capaldi / Ser hoy (Be today) - Maxi Espnola (Aliados Soundtrack [Slightly Edited to English by me :D ] ) / Lose somebody - Kygo / What's up danger - Spiderman into the spider-verse soundtrack / Warriors - Aaliyah Rose (She-ra And the princesses of power soundtrack)</p><p>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its characters do not belong to me, and this story is made with the sole purpose of entertaining its readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“Mysteries and mistakes, truth and amends</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>We live balancing in the tight rope between those…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” Luz asked, her voice breaking down, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>How </span>
  </em>
  <span>are you here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess’s smile died a little and she played with her hair, it was longer than Luz’s, but it still had a similar shape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s quite the spell, even if I say so myself,” she said, “it was really hard to prepare, and a spell that allows me to get this deep is always going to have that strain, not to mention that fusing personalities is always a bit risky…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Feisty,” Princess said and snapped her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place shifted and Luz rose from the ground, falling again in a chair, Princess was on a couch, sitting with her crossed legs towards Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see, Luz, I like your spirit,” Princess said and closed her eyes. “It’s been a long while since I had something like a resistance around here… but I ran out of patience with you,” she added, glaring at her, “so I’m taking that spirit, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her tongue to avid a screech coming out of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess seemed to find it amusing. “You see, Luz… the Titan might have given me a mission, but they didn’t give me the way to fulfill it.” Princess leaned in. “I have to find ways to do it myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ways to fulfill your mission?” Luz repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, that’s right!” Princess giggled, “You see… vessels are always a hassle, they break, or get worn down… so I need to change every now and then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Vessels?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought and her hands moved to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh? Seems like you have an idea of where I’m going, ain’t you a little versed on the occult?” Princess said, “But, yes, that’s what I meant… my body is not fit for much of the things the Titan’s will demand from me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess snapped her fingers and Luz was surrounded by mirrors, all of them showed her the Princess, and then Belos, then the castle, and throne room.</span>
</p><p><span>“So I need a new one… one with, </span><em><span>power,</span></em><span>”</span> <span>Princess said and turned, “but it couldn’t be done easily… I needed a body that could support my powers… I needed a body that could resonate with me, one with strength and affinity… someone with a personality that could be overtaken and overwritten into a perfect fit for my mission… I needed…”</span></p><p>
  <span>“A child,” Luz finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! You are certainly right! I needed a child, a small body with room to grow and become as strong as I could ever need them to be!” She turned again, smile permanent on her face. “So I, the other me, started a little project… I shared my blood on small kids… many of them grew strong, but none of them managed to develop the power I needed them to have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed. “You gave your blood…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t do something as mundane and barbaric as what you think,” Princess said, moving her hand like the idea was a mosquito. “I find it repulsive… no, instead, I sent little drops of my blood on the food, all kids have to eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s sick!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, shivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess looked at her with a cold stare. “Of course the ways are going to be more important than the result for you, and all the others that lack </span>
  <em>
    <span>vision!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Princess said, “It’s alright, only I need to care about the future!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and looked down when the pieces finally joined on her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you weren’t my mom’s…?” she asked, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess blinked a few times before sighing and dropping herself on the couch. “Oh, I certainly didn't.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why the lie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you keep saying I’m your daughter?!” Luz shouted, glaring at Princess, “Why lie like that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it wasn’t a lie,” Princess said, a smirk appearing on her face, “I gave you my blood, I gave you the power and prepared you for your destiny… I’m your father in all that counts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? That’s not how things work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It worked for the ‘Owl Lady’, didn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She gave you a home, I can give you a castle, she gave a school, I can get the best magic teachers in the isles, myself included, to teach you, she gave you food, and clothes, I can put up with those mundane areas,” Princess said, “she gave you a sense of pride? I can give you a sense of purpose! I can do all she did and more, Luz, I’m your father-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t do it all,” she cut the Princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t do all Eda did, you can’t even do a million part of what she did!” Luz repeated and stood up, “You are just trying to say stupid things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, I thought we had passed this little rebellious part-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not my father!” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mirrors around her shattered and she glared at the remaining image of Princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just care about your stupid destiny! You are just a self-centered monster!” She said, her rage became slowly greater than her fear. “You can ‘do all Eda did’? Don’t say such a stupid thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, now-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda did more than just taking me in her house! She took in her </span>
  <em>
    <span>heart!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz screamed, “She put up with me when I had secrets I couldn’t tell her, she did things just to make me happy, she cooked for me, took care of me, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>cried </span>
  </em>
  <span>for me when I was hurt! She fought for my happiness! She sacrificed her easygoing life for me! She got me into a place she hated! She </span>
  <em>
    <span>begged </span>
  </em>
  <span>people to help me! And- and-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She gave up her </span>
  <em>
    <span>magic </span>
  </em>
  <span>for me,” Luz whispered and looked up to Princess. “So stop spitting shit, </span>
  <em>
    <span>imbecil! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You’ll never be like my </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess- Belos looked at her and their face passed from the smile they had to a stern, expressionless one, they stood up and looked at Luz in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess the playtime is over, then,” they said and they snapped their fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind Princess Belos original form appeared and Luz glared at both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This spell will allow me to control your body as an extension of mine, so I think it would be appropriate to let you know, but…” Belos form placed both hands on the Princess’s shoulders. “I guess you don’t care that much, I hope you find this room cozy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They vanished and the mirror returned to its normal size, Luz was once again in the darkroom, alone, and trapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the last place you’ll ever see,” Belos voice came from the nothingness along with Princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and held her hands over her heart before turning towards the room; she could now see its form. It was her old room from the human realm, the one that she had left behind when she ran away, the one that she had hated so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not letting you do what you want,” she whispered, and glared up at the ceiling, “I’m getting out here, and I’m taking back </span>
  <em>
    <span>my family!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was partially happy to have her mind back, being savage and wild and unpredictable… more than before, that is. Was a charge she wasn’t really sure she wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And bouncing back from it had been hellish in itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The level of interest Belos had shown her when it came to the portal was equal to how much he wanted to know about Luz, and that just kept bugging Eda, greatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why would he want a portal to the human realm anyway?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos had all the power he could want in the isles, he had single handily managed to pull her back into consciousness from a seemingly irreversible curse and even controlled Luz. What could a person that had all that power, all that money, and surely a lot of people ready to ogle his stupid mask for hours even want from a place like the human realm?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t figure it out, and that kept bothering her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt Lilith move on top of her and Eda swallowed. She might not have her magic anymore, but she could still feel the change in the air, the vibration of the atmosphere around her sister, and how she was tensing; the magic pressure was always easy to read, and Lilith was building up a huge amount.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda knew they would need it, two women against an army?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even she wouldn’t take that bet if she had the choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are almost there,” she said and felt Lilith move, her sister didn’t reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda caught sight of the castle soon enough and tensed, her body reading for a fight instinctively. She saw many guards on the training grounds, and she even saw two huge torches already burning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Titan blessed her eyes, she could see much more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the weapons on the arms of the soldiers, she also saw the stupid golden carpet, and even the little pedestal and the stairs that went up from it, it all circling around the dreadful piece of shit that she was sure will haunt her in her dreams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black mirror…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He must be prepared to do that horrible spell.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, and looked around the palace; she didn’t catch sight of Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that didn’t make her feel better.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m coming Luz!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked at her back. “Lily, I’m going to go in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister chuckled and opened her eyes, Eda stared at her irises, the look on her sister’s eyes was a burning rage and determination, and the soft clear blue glow just helped to make her look more dreadful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready,” Lilith said and Eda smiled, looking back ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rose up over the cloud line and flew until they were barely away from the castle, she glared down and folded her wings. They fell like an arrow and Eda heard the screams of some of the guards, and saw a few of them preparing spells.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too slow…” she heard Lilith say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw the mass of blue flames that flew over her; a giant raven made of pure magic led her down, the impact against the ground creating an expansive wave that gave her the strength to avoid crashing and enter the castle, starting to run by folding her wings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think he would have Luz?!” she shouted, turning a corner, Lilith blasted a battalion of soldiers that was closing on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He won’t have her in the dungeons, but neither would he risk having her high up!” Lily replied, “so we are looking for somewhere between the third and fourth floor!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which one are we?!” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw a wall of soldiers and growled, jumping through a side door, they were faced with a caldron and lots of vegetables, meat, and cheese.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The kitchens!” Lilith said, “This is the middle of the third floor, we need to find the quarters wing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which way?” she shouted, getting out by the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Left!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were going to find her kid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>........................................................................................................................................</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris stayed in her house for a solid ten minutes before she decided that the stupid walls were too asphyxiating for her to remain calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she had gone to her favorite bakery to get some flour and calm herself with some cinnamon rolls and then she could bake them herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she heard the news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Perry Porter!” the voice came from the crystal ball. “Breaking news! The Clawthorne sisters have escaped the Conformatorium-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris smiled at that when hearing the cheers from the people around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those two managed a clean getaway?” She whispered and turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-And on other news, a huge beast from the depths of the isles had attacked the Emperor’s castle!” Perry continued and Klaris froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and saw how a small dot in the air dived towards the castle, apparently breathing waves of blue flames that took out a battalion of guards, allowing it to drop on the training grounds that were on the roof, just so the creature could rush into the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that wasn’t a single creature, and it was not from the depths!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What are those two thinking?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Klaris thought, lowering her head and facepalming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rushing into the castle?! Alone and in the middle of the night when everything was about to happen?! Without backup, a plan, or even good enough preparation and health?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck it, Eda didn’t even understand her beast’s body yet!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris groaned and turned around, decided to hole herself in her room with some ice-cream and forget the outside world for about a decade, or until Lilith came back and told her that everything was OK! That could work, too…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But why was she OK with that again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, she wasn’t going to risk her life for a two weeks relationship, as hot and caring, and cute, and amusing and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was getting sidetracked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lilith was, risking her life for her was nonsense… yet, the idea of just, leaving them to their luck, abandoning people…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh, stupid moral values.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was a war against the Emperor! She was going to become a wanted criminal! Lose her house and her position…! Alright, she didn’t care much about her work on the coven, hell, her work hours were—in paper—hideous, her work, boring—if she was the one doing it and not her clones—and the pay was simply the worst!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was for any soldier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she did like her house, and she did like her life…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m just looking for excuses, aren’t I?” she whispered and looked at the crystal balls again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perry was talking about something but she didn’t really pay attention to it, just to the image behind him, and how the guards that she had seen in Conformatorium—she guess they were those—rushed into the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and moved to the alleys, making sure to place her spell around, and then looked to the sky, the night was already over them, the moon getting higher and higher, clouds disappearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No cover, but I’m OK…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, raising her hand. “It’s been a while since I flew, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her staff materialized on her hand and she smiled at her Palisman, a little fluffy bunny with a set of majestic antlers acting like a crown around her little head. The little wooden creature looked at her before smiling in its particular way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, girl,” she said, mounting, “I need to get to the castle, think you can rush it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her Palisman nodded and Klaris saw her become fully wooden again, the antlers on her head moved and from them, long light rays came out, taking the form of two long triangles. Klaris smiled at it and kicked the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was in the air in no time, Lonny flying fast through the night sky while she looked down at the town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know what the Emperor plan was, nor did she care that much about Lilith—OK, she did care that much, but she was pragmatic, she wasn’t doing that for a crush, hell, she wasn’t a teen—but she cared about her city, the peaceful ‘Bonesborough’ under her was shaking with life after hearing about Eda’s and Lilith’s escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She may not be sure what the plan was, nor what could it lead to, but she didn’t like the idea of the Emperor with a portal to the human realm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m as stupid as the people I call stupid, great,” she whispered, turning to the front, “I guess that makes the worst of a kind, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could live with that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow wasn’t sure about how she was feeling at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Amity, where are you?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, pulling King back into their little hiding spot in the armory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had separated when a patrol came, easy to reconnect after that, right? But Willow had made a bit of a mistake by not looking a bit more for amity and just assuming the teal hair witch was behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her bad, sure, but still!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we going to do?” Gus asked, looking around, “the soldiers could come here any minute now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow covered his mouth before hissing her response. “I’m thinking!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better think fast,” King said, “someone’s coming!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow tensed and pulled the demon back behind a huge box, she closed her eyes and strained her ears, faint steps were closing by, but not many.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A single guard.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked at Gus. “I need you to make a diversion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and made a spell circle. “On your count.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what about me?” King whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You jump to their face,” Willow replied and took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened and Willow opened her eyes, she made a signal to Gus and her friend sent the diversion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried not to roll her eyes at the multiple flashes of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now!” she said and King jumped over the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a scream and she rolled to the side, raising her hand and getting the vines from the ground to go up, wrapping the newcomer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey! Willow!” The person said, “I’m on your side!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stopped, recognizing the voice, and turned to where Gus was. “Gus, stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got him to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow sighed and rubbed her eyelids before looking at the ground, king was gaping. She raised an eyebrow before looking at the person they had just captured. A brunette woman with glasses was staring at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” the three witches said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And King followed with. “The ‘Scone’s Lady’?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at the demon. “Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is Lilith’s new girlfriend!” King explained, before turning to the woman. “What are you doing here, ‘Scone’s Lady’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette wasn’t amused by that name, apparently. “What do you and Eda have with not learning the names of people?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you really Miss. Lilith’s girlfriend?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman looked at them and squished her eyes before something seemed to ‘click’ for her. “Are you, by any chance, Gus and Willow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…How do you…?” Willow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew it!” the woman cheered, “Titan, Boscha, and Luz were right, you are cute, girl, I want to give you some cinnamon rolls and watch the cannibalism thorough!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…OK, that sounded wrong, sorry,” she said and sighed, “Boscha is my patient, and I’ve meet Luz,” the woman looked at Gus, “you really do look like a little genius, Luz was accurate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got his friend to blush. “Oh, I’m not that special.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, ‘not that special’,” the woman said, “I’m Klaris Sanders, and I’m dating Lilith… which I think explains why I’m here, doesn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dunno, what are you doing here?” Willow asked, lowering her hands and releasing the woman from the vines. “And I’m sorry ‘bout that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never be sorry for a plan that works, it’s almost impossible to get one that doesn’t collapse,” Klaris replied and dusted herself. “Besides the thrones just got through some layers of skin, I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad to hear that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris smiled at her before sighing and frowning. “As for your question… A better explanation would be that I just can’t get rid of my morals, I guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morals?” King asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, little jerk,” Klaris replied, crossing her arms. “The Emperor is trying to do something to Luz that nobody should ever even think of, and I’m not in for letting that happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what is the Emperor’s plan?” Gus asked, “I thought he just wanted his daughter back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is not sentimental, he has a larger scheme ongoing, and sadly enough? Lilith thinks she had discovered it, but I really hope she’s wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at them like she was… evaluating them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor is using a nasty… </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell on Luz to… to control her,” she said, “and if he manages to complete it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow moved closer to the woman. “What… what would happen if he does?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Luz may be lost forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris’s eyes cut Willow’s growing rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor has prepared a place on the training grounds on the third floor’s yard,” Klaris said, “Luz is to be delivered there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know that?” King asked glaring at Klaris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been moving around since I arrived,” the woman replied, “ news travels fast around here, look; the point is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris made a spell circle and showed them an image of Luz, she was wearing a white cape and robe, her clothes had been changed for a dress and her shoes for boots, and her expression was emotions less and her eyes…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t her friend!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got this from one of the guard’s eyes, they share a lot of info that way,” Klaris explained, “Luz is already on her way to meet the Emperor there,” she finished, vanishing the image.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow covered her mouth and looked down, the danger of the situation… the risk Luz was in washing over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We… we have to do something!” she cried out and held Klaris by the arms, “Please, we can’t let him do that to her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, and believe me, we will do something!” the woman replied, moving her hands to place them on Willow’s shoulders. “But we can’t go after Luz right away, we are too far, we’ll never make it in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then… what do we do?” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Klaris looked at them before turning around. “We prepare.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prepare? Prepare?!” King repeated, “What are we supposed to do with preparing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We get weapons that can help Luz,” Klaris said and moved to the door, peeking outside before looking at them over her shoulder. “I wish I could make us invisible…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus took a step forward. “I think I can help with that,” he said, “if you think we can work together for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gus, what are you saying?” Willow asked, holding her friend’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know a spell that could make us invisible, but it requires two witches,” he replied and looked back at Klaris, “we could move around quite nicely with it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette nodded slowly. “We could…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what good would that do?!” King shouted, “We should burst to where Luz is, take her, and run away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then what?” Klaris asked, “The Emperor has already played a lot of cards, we can’t just take her and disappear, they’d live in hiding the rest of their lives!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what do we do?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow knew the answer before it left her lips. “We help them make sure this ends here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t all that surprised when all the eyes landed on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are… are you crazy?!” King shouted, “You just-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what I said,” Willow replied and closed her eyes and her fist. “But what could we do if not that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence and she felt like sinking in her place. She knew that what she had said was horrible, that it’s was risky, hell, it was madness!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was so tired of having her friend being pursued, so tired of Luz not being able to have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>normal day in her life!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’ll need the right tools,” Klaris said with a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow’s eyes snapped open and she looked up, King and Gus nodded to one another and moved towards her, taking one of her hands each.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are with you,” Gus said, “Luz is also my friend, I’m sure we’ll find a way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor is overestimated,” King added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow looked at them and smiled. “It’s a stupid idea, let’s not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even when we will not, I think there is a pair that would consider it,” Klaris said and giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A pair?” King and Gus asked at the same time as her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at them and smiled. “Eda and Lilith crashed into the palace less than an hour ago, and they were already on the third floor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was sure she lit up at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they won’t be enough to fix this, so, we need to move,” the brunette said and nodded at Gus, “ready to try advanced magic, little dude?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always!” Gus replied and got next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is our first stop, then?” Willow asked, getting closer to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Klaris smiled at her. “I was thinking that a bit of history could come in handy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so glad I don’t want to be part of this coven anymore…” Amity whispered and got into a vent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>done </span>
  </em>
  <span>with that castle!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had run around the damn place after her little ‘almost encounter’ with Luz, and she couldn’t find the damn main stairs! She needed to meet with Willow, King, and Gus!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she just seemed to be moving in circles!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How did she end on an even higher floor anyway?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a tension in the air that kept bugging her, every little group of guards was on edge, rushing to a different point in the palace, every time it was a different direction, and that just kept making it harder and harder to avoid being spotted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How would someone actually do that smoothly?! ‘The good witch Azura: The legend of the crowned shadows’ had lied! Running while being unnoticed was extremely hard, stupid Hecate for making it seem easy!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bit her complaint down and watched the newest group of guards, they were charging with already prepared spells, and with some lances, she shivered at the idea of what they’d do if they found her. Amity moved her hand to the side bag and took out one of Luz’s glyphs cards. She looked at it, it was the light one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How does Luz even use this?” she whispered and sighed, walking out of her hiding spot behind a curtain-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was an explosion, guards flew in front of her and crashed against a wall at the end of the corridor, falling unconscious—fortunately—to the ground. She stared at them before looking the other way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t happy with the view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A giant beast was slapping, and punching, and tackling away soldiers while on top of her, Lilith blasted blue flames against the ones who were smart enough to keep their distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilith?!” She shouted and covered her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great, give away that you are there, </span>
  <em>
    <span>superstar!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman looked at her and the surprise in her eyes told Amity volumes of how ridiculous that situation was. She saw the Clawthorne pat the back of the creature and then it jumped over the guards, allowing Amity a clear view of its face… well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, short-stuff,” the monster—Eda—said with a smile, “hop on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity would’ve discussed it any other time, but she didn’t feel like doing that at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking Lilith’s hand, Amity got on Eda’s back and made a spell circle, blasting a fireball to the soldiers behind them. Eda took that as a sign to start running again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This explains why the guards are running from one place to another…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity thought while tightening her grip around Eda’s hair, she looked at her hand and groaned, getting Luz glyph card in her pocket and looking at Lilith. “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman looked back at her. “I’m guessing the same as you, Amity!” Lilith said, “have you seen Luz?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gaped and sighed, that family was </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She didn’t have doubts anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was in the room they gave her!” She replied and screamed a little when Eda took a sharp turn. “But she is not there anymore!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn this place!” Eda shouted, “Lily, where to?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If she is not in her room she must be on her way to the yard!” Lilith replied and looked back at Amity. “Was she OK?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity blinked and considered her answer carefully. “She wasn’t harmed, but…! She didn’t act or looked like herself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do ya mean by that?!” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was moving almost mechanically!” Amity replied, “She was wearing make-up like a royal, wearing clothes that weren’t hers and her eyes were glowing with red light!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity wished that the face Lilith made after hearing that was another one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!” Lilith said and her voice was tainted with </span>
  <em>
    <span>despair, </span>
  </em>
  <span>“That glow-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to tell me!” Eda shouted back and stopped, turning around to where a group of soldiers was closing the distance with them. “Just tell me where to go! I’m going to break all the bones in the bodies of anyone that gets in our way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smirked and stood up, magic chains grew from her and tied her to her sister. “I’m going to burn all the fucking walls of the place!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…” Amity whispered and stared.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “I wonder if she’d mentor me again-?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Straight forward!” Lilith said, breaking Amity’s line of thought, “I’ll break the wall, we need to get to the yard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity braced herself, clinging as hard as she could to Eda’s back, and left the Clawthorne sisters to take the wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora was about to lose it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she wasn’t sure if it was her patience or her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Luz, the teen was perfectly calm, obeying the order she just gave her of remaining still while she made sure nobody was close to their position. She had been worried about the child going and trying to escape, but the spell the Emperor had used on her was quite effective apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had seen it once before, but never again until that time after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like they are closing by,” Kikimora whispered and looked ahead before turning back at Luz, “come on then, Princess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl obeyed and Kikimora looked ahead, tensing and preparing her magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t by any means powerful, taking care of kids was something easy, but she was painfully conscious of her lack of power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She has had an overwhelming advantage against Lilith during Grom Fright, and yet, she has lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she was ready to pull all her strength to ensure the Emperor received the child, she wouldn’t risk failing him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good,” she heard, “acting so desperate is good, Kikimora.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around, and the person she faced </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl had a twisted smile and the gleam in her eyes made Kikimor shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do know what will happen if you fail... don’t you?” Luz asked with a sweet tone, but the edge on those words…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just like Belos’s…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I’ll have to leave this to you, I can’t stay, so be good and don’t fail this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Kikimora could say anything, Luz's eyes darkened, the gleam disappeared and the air around her shifted. She was like an empty doll again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” Kikimora whispered, and raised her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a crash, and she remembered her situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever that had been, she needed to get Luz to the yard first, she couldn’t fail unless she wanted to...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… She couldn’t even think about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She still remembered the horror… a punishment that didn’t leave anything to be saved…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith had been a victim herself, even when she wasn’t aware of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her little divagation into the past got interrupted by shaking and she looked up, the sound of battler closing by, fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They are on the upper floor?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered and looked at Luz, the guards around her were already shaking and prepared to attack their own shadows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t have the energy for this…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a spell circle and chained the soldiers to the girl, the four witches looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deliver her to the Emperor on the yard,” she ordered and made a new spell. “I’ll be taking care of our visits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was part of the construction track, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wall around her moved, shifting and starting to </span>
  <em>
    <span>breathe</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she looked at them and then to the guards, a single movement of her head was enough to have Luz moving, pulling the soldiers with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora then looked at her creations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Long and robust snakes of stone hissed at her and she nodded, pointing upwards, the creatures moved and jumped towards the ceiling. She made a new spell circle and opened holes on it for them to pass before jumping on top of one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way I’m paying for more repairs than necessary,” she whispered and ducked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed with no problem at all and looked at the intruders that had stopped after being circled by her creation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t surprised when she recognized them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’ve come?” She asked, glaring at Lilith. “When you could’ve run away?”</span>
</p><p><span>Lilith </span><em><span>spits </span></em><span>at</span> <span>her, and it reached her! “We are not leaving Lucelyn behind!”</span></p><p>
  <span>“How did you manage to get this filthy thing on me?!” Kikimora screamed, wiping her face with her sleeve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now it’s filthy? I clearly remember you-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily!” Edalyn shouted, “There’s fucking kid here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” the green-haired kid said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora glared at them and felt the heat going to her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was partially glad her skin was red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… she gets out the worst of me,” Lilith said and took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the serpents, “Edalyn, keep moving for the yard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” the ‘Owl Lady’—maybe ‘Owl Beast’ was more accurate now?—replied, “We have a situation here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If Kikimora is here, that just means Luz is close to reaching the yard,” Lilith said, “that woman over there can’t just let us get there, probably because Belos is there already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Damn that sharp mind!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kikimora thought and moved her hand, the snake behind them attacked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lilith blasted a magic bomb, destroying its head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I’m right then…” Lilith said, frowning at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora swallowed and made a new spell circle. “That doesn’t mean you’ll get past me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see,” Lilith said, summoning multiple fireballs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora looked to the side, four snakes were ready, she moved her hands and they attacked, Lilith blasting fire towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m going to need more snakes…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kikimora thought when two of the four got destroyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz crashed against the door and groaned, the damn thing would budge!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why isn’t this a bit more like my old room?” she whined and glared at the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would have already been out if she was in her actual old bedroom, but Belos had fixated the damn thing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around, the bed, the desk, and the rug were pitch-black, just like the wall, but she was able to see them—she didn’t care about the logic that much at that moment—and found it so creepy!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The window is not here,” she said and sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her shape would probably be really depressing in contrast with the room she was trapped in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and tried to think of anything that could get her out of there. She couldn’t get the door to open, and she couldn’t break it down, there was nothing for her to do with the walls and there was no window, no crack, nor a hole…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Which led her to the only possible option…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened her eyes and her sight drifted to the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Belos is not going to show up, right?” she whispered and sighed, closing her eyes again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t any other choice or time.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please, let me be right this once…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, and opened her eyes, walking towards the black crystal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back at the room and blinked, the color came to the place for a second, almost like a flash. The window appeared, the light of the sunset shining through it, the bed made and the letter she had left behind on top of the pillow, she felt the weight of her bag on her shoulder and the void in her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like when she left her home… when she ran away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had wished to never go back to that place, never again to be forced to act like someone she wasn’t, to be part of something she hated. She had run ready to never look back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she wasn’t feeling that anymore…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m off, I guess,” she whispered and looked up. “I’m not sure if I’ll be back for dinner… or for Christmas… or New Year…” she whispered tears building up in her eyes. “I… I don’t know if I’ll be back soon…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down and felt a hand on her head, it stopped her sobs, and she looked up, nobody was there, but Luz felt a warm feeling going through her, and the place turned back to black, the window gone again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t her real room, but it was the closest she’d get… she didn’t want to leave like before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I’m not sure if I’ll be back soon,” she repeated, rubbing her eyes and smiling. “But I’ll be back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a promise she’ll have to fight for, but she’ll do it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With those words Luz left out a little giggle and turned to the mirror, raising her hand and touching the crystal. The surface made waves, and her hand passed through it like it was water. Luz retrieved it and looked at it, nothing was worn down, bleeding, or broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, surprisingly videogame-like…” she whispered before looking at the crystal again. “I guess this is the way, then…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath and frowned, closing her hand in fist…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… And she ran through the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are almost in the yard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at Lilith’s words and turned the corner, she finally saw the torches in the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was so ridiculous that they had run around the whole fucking place just to go back to where they entered through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t achieve anything!” the little red pepper of a demon shouted from behind them. “The Emperor deserves to have his daughter with him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bastard tortured, attacked, hurt, and tried to kill her, he doesn’t deserve an owl’s shit!” Lilith shouted and Eda laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My Titan, Lily! You haven’t changed a thing from Grugby season!” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And felt the Blight kid pulling her way up. “She was like this when younger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My sister was always hot-headed when it came to competition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a crash and the ground under Eda gave in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her wings and managed to stay on the floor, but the ground in front of her was starting to change, the stone moving and shifting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t let you reach the stairs!” the demon woman shouted and Eda groaned, preparing herself for a bumpy ride-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…When she saw the window that led to the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on tight!” she shouted and changed her route.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!” Lilith shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda jumped through the window, the glass shattering and the cold night air hitting her in the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and her wings at the same time and slid on the air currents, managing a somewhat decent—horrible, really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span>—landing on the yard, Lily and the Blight kid fell from her back at some point and she rolled until she hit something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not… my best… idea…” she muttered, getting up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we can agree on that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That voice sent chills all over her body and she jumped back, glaring at the course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked quite peaceful—even with the mask and all—on the contrary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like you finally came, after all,” he said and moved his hand. “We were waiting for you, weren’t we, Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw Belos move, and Luz walked to stand by his side, the scene repulsed her; Luz with the clothes Belos chose, her eyes dead and glowing red, her hair brushed in a way that would never be Luz’s choice and her stance as mechanical as a doll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her kid was being used as a fucking marionette!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her go!” Eda roared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos shook his head and sighed. “I thought you’d get it at the sight, ‘Owl Lady’,” he said, placing a hand on Luz’s head, “Luz here is my daughter, I don’t have a reason to let her go anywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is nothing of yours, you bastard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But is she yours?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda greeted her teeth at that. “I’ve been taking care of-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her? And that makes her </span>
  <em>
    <span>yours</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” He interrupted her, “Open up your eyes, ‘Owl Lady’, you don’t have a hold over this kid more than I do, she has a connection to me, our magic works the same way, and the Titan himself has brought us back together!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is not from the isles!” Eda shouted in response, “You know that! The Titan would send her to you, and even if they did, it’s not their choice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But is yours, then?” He asked, “Just because you have one portal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, a lie, nonsense?” Belos laughed. “Accept it, ‘Owl Lady’, if the portal was in my control, Luz would’ve been with her real family from the get to go… you just had… luck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared at the man for a long time… and she laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn right I did!” Eda shouted and sighed, looking at Belos. “And you didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flinched at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are always talking about the ‘Titan’s will’, but you just acknowledged that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>had luck, not that the Titan gave me Luz, but that a causality did!” Eda said and walked closer, “You are just pushing your power around to take her away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is meant to be with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why didn’t the, oh so great Titan give her to you?” Eda asked, “I mean, she had a lot of chances! She could’ve gone to you many times, if you didn’t know, we had fights, she goes into town, she even got herself breaking out criminals more than once! Where were you those times?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s smile grew bigger when Belos didn’t reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell ya, you were in your little castle, not caring about her!” she finally said, and glared, And now you come, saying that she is </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be by your side? That’s a load of B.S. you got there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back, Lily and Amity were behind her, both of them preparing a spell to attack, and she smiled at that before she looked back to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where Luz was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Tell you what,” Eda said, taking a step closer, “I’ll trade ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh?” she heard from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trade, you say?” Belos asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda nodded and took another step closer. “You give me Luz, and I’ll give you the portal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!” Lilith shouted and held her by the wing. “What are you doing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a mother would,” she replied and pushed her sister back, turning towards Belos. “So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man looked at her, studying her. “What makes you think that I won’t get it once I have Luz?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fact that it won’t exist,” Eda said and lowered her body. “I’ll destroy it, until its last piece.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are bluffing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her with renewed interest in his eyes and didn’t move. Eda glared at him for a really long time, the stupid mask didn’t show anything of him, and that just sent chills under her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his hand away from Luz, and snapped his fingers, Luz took a step forward, and Eda smiled-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until the dagger was on the kid’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a… counteroffer,” Belos said, the magical dagger dancing around Luz’s neck. “You give me the portal, or I’ll just kill Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve exposed a really great weakness, ‘Owl Lady’,” Belos said and the blade pressured Luz’s skin. “I can always get another child, it’ll be a gruesome task and certainly it’ll take years of work… but I do wonder…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A drop of blood ran down Luz’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you ever manage to get another ‘Luz’?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, something happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos seemed to… fall asleep, and a giggle came from Luz, the sound escalated and slowly but surely it became a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughing!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Incredible!” Luz said and looked at Eda, “Just how much lower can you all fall?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her eyes weren’t hers, those blac orbs with red rings weren’t Luz’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You fight like animals, with teeth and nails, and in the end, you can’t do anything,” she said, and shook her head, “it’s simply sad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz?” Eda heard and looked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was looking at her kid with big eyes, her mouth hanging open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, she didn’t know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not Luz, Amity,” Lily, said, “it’s the Emperor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Short-stuff shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do know this spell, Lilith?” Luz- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Belos, </span>
  </em>
  <span>asked, “Color me impressed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that you banned it for a reason,” Lily replied, “why are you using it now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked a few times and sighed. “Desperate times, desperate measures, besides this is a bit… different, but you don’t want details, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Desperate?” Lilith repeated, “what could lead </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>into despair?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and got a finger to her lips. “That’s not a matter to be discussed here, is it? I believe we have more… apprehensive situations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz lowered her hand and pushed forward, her neck pressing to the dagger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t we? ‘Owl Lady’?” uz asked, and her eyes became darker again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos body came back to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was sickening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what will it be?” Belos asked, “the time is running out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda tensed and growled, but didn’t move, Belos was still watching her carefully, the damned weapon moving and threatening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she knew it was her loss“…Fine…” she said and lowered her eyes to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Belos hum. “Good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith placed a hand on her side and Eda looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn?” Lily asked and Eda shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was right, he could always find another kid to attack, he could always follow her around for the portal, and he could also just stop caring about her and look for another object that could get him what he wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Eda could never find another Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like the ‘Owl lady’ has finally understood her position,” Belos said and Eda glared at him, he moved the blade away from Luz’s neck and snapped his fingers, Luz walked back, standing back to his side, the black mirror on the other side of her body. “Now… go on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew King had the key.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head with great strength and things started to fall from it, first, the snacks, then the old human treasures—Luz had said those were toys—and then the papers, little memos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes, quite the view, isn’t it?” Belos asked, and raise his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Red magic surrounded the portal and it rose a little from the ground. Eda looked at it and closed her eyes for a second, when she opened them again, she caught sight of something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A stupid drawing… </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>stupid drawing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“…That kid wouldn’t be proud of me if I give up now…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing, ‘Owl Lady’?” Belos asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda had her claw closed around the portal. “You know… I’ve been meaning to ask why the hell you would want this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not of your concern, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I guess not… but you see,” she said and looked at him, “I don’t think Luz will be thrilled with me, giving </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>what you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s irrelevant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“’Fraid you’re wrong, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>relevant!” She said and closed her claw tighter, “Because that kid would never forgive me if I did this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos eyes—the glowing part—grew. “Stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m not disappointing my daughter!” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the portal shattered under her claw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Kikimora and Belos’s screams, but she didn’t care about it, she pushed the pieces back into the flames Lily had used to create a shield and watched them burn, she then turned back to the front and her eyes went towards Luz, and she caught a little flash, just for a second in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her kid was still there! She couldn’t still save her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impertinent beast…” she heard and fell how something pulled her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the heat of the flames disappear and how something hit her on the stomach, all the air in her lungs and all her strength leaving in her in a single breath. She fought the tension that invaded her muscles, but it was impossible to beat it, she was paralyzed!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now you’ve done it…” Belos said and snapped his fingers; the pieces of the portal fell into a hole that closed itself immediately after. “Just for that, I’d have you as a witness!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Witness?” Eda repeated and Belos raised his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic moved around his limb, the air turning into a dark, thick mist that slowly and calmly took form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes…” Belos said and flashed the dark smoky dagger on his hand. “You’ll be a witness of the beginning of a new era!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw all in slow motion then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long had she been floating in there?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Belos seriously needs a hobby if he can build up traps like this…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, spinning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was cold, and something was definitely off around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz body—astral body? Yeah, that sounded about right—was not heavy in the least, the pressure she had felt on the room Belos trapped her was long gone, and she was even more concerned with how easy it was to even move around that infinite blackness…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it wasn’t like it was pure black, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around, noticing white dots moving around her, they were so far away, and yet, she felt like she could reach them with a single movement, a sole stroke of her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just what is this place?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she heard music.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Si soy lo que hago… tal vez me preguntes quien soy… a quien busco…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz… Luz knew that song… that voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Ser hoy es riesgo de extrema valía…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew those lyrics, that rhythm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and looked down, she saw something coming from her, a thread, just like the ones that linked her magic, and she saw it go far away, farther than any other light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was a warm light, a yellow and green one.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Camila…?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and reached for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz found herself floating in the middle of a room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One she knew really well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes went from the window in the kitchen that saw to the street and had that loose screw, the dishwasher, and the towel she always left to dry in the sunlight. The stupid chair with the bite marks of her—not allowed and then returned to rightful </span>
  <em>
    <span>dick </span>
  </em>
  <span>owner—hamster, and even the mantel she had patched with Camilla covered by papers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was in her old house.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, looking around. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“OK, Belos has a horrible taste or-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I become a lie… and this wouldn’t be my life…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s ears perked at that and she looked down at the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla was there, already fully dressed to go to work, she was perfectly clean and her hair was perfectly combed… but her eyes were tired, really tired. She walked to the couch and took her purse, looking around the house, and sighed before walking to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t go out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood there and turned, leaning on the door… and sobbed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes grew at that and she looked back at the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The papers were ‘missing person’ posters!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped and looked back at Camilla who was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, and for the first time since… since she went away, she felt the weight of what she had done, what it had implied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What damage she had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Mami…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and floated closer to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m so sorry…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz moved her hand towards Camilla, but stopped before touching her, she saw her limb, and how transparent it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t dumb, she knew it wouldn’t work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla sobbed again and Luz felt her heartache. She looked at the woman, so broken, so… so alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And wondered why she had left her like that… why did she hurt her like that?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“…You always wanted the best for me…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought and her eyes burned her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You were always there to protect me…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz shook her head at the thought and closed her hands over her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she could only reach out for her if she could only tell her that she was so sorry! That she loved her that she was… she was-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…That she was so ashamed of doubting that she loved her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mija</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” Camilla whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz couldn’t restrain herself and started to cry, just like the crybaby she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>, just like a kid who just learned that she had done damage—because she was, she was a stupid kid with no restrain—she cried like a child needed their mom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Because she did, deeply…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she moved her lips, looking at Camilla, remembering the song that had led her there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their favorite song… the one they always sang together…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Ser hoy es semilla de un nuevo día… en tinieblas ser Luz…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s voice broke then, and she looked down, the pain inside of her leaving her breathless…</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Be the guide…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes snapped open and she looked up, Camilla was surprised too, looking up… but she didn’t see her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…?” the woman asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom... mom…?” Luz said back, but Camilla didn’t react, she… she didn’t hear her. “Mom… </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami…!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tried to touch her, but her hand passed right through her, she wanted to cry, to shout to the sky about how could someone even wonder doing that to her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whose prank was that?! Let them come so she could break their thumbs!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt something hot on her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down; a mass of pure light was shining in her pocket. She reached for it and took it out, slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda… Eda’s necklace…?” Luz whispered, looking at the stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light inside the stone was shifting, moving and… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>beating. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz stared at it and then at Camilla, the woman was losing the light in her eyes, the little ounce of hope she had, dying in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No! No!” Luz shouted, “Mom! I’m here, I’m here! Look at me! Please!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Camilla couldn’t hear her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this?” She whined, “First you save me with Grom, and now this?! Stop playing with me!” She glared at the stone, “How are you even doing this?! You were just a piece of metal not long ago, a thing that hid my real form! That is all you were before Eda remade you! So why? How are you doing this and why did Belos’ stupid trap bring me here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The response came like a flash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Camila again, but something was different, the light she had followed… it was inside of her…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the light, the deep and strong green, mixing with the yellow… dancing, not combining but… but coexisting. It was… beautiful…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her very essence… it was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… It was her </span>
  <em>
    <span>soul…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh…” Luz whispered and looked down at the necklace again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How had she forgotten?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos couldn’t have done that plane she was in, the black mirror was a part of the ‘Mirror’s House’ after all, the sign on the entrance was clear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was… ‘Reflect your real self; and all the other as well,’ right?” Luz whispered, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been there before, in the cold, in the void… alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Years ago…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened her eyes and looked at Camila, she was standing again, and she was cleaning her face and checking her purse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was living, wondering… suffering.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I was horrible to you…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, closing her eyes again, and taking a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“If I’m what I do… and what I do ends, I disappear… I lose…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla stopped and turned around, Luz opened her eyes and watched her, her mother was looking for the source of the sound, and it made her smile before she continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Si soy lo que hago… tal vez me preguntes quien soy… a quien busco…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Camila’s eyes grew at that sound and she smiled, new tears forming in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she sang.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I might become a lie… and it’s not mine this life…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and leaned closer, looking Camilla in the eyes before joining her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>their </span>
  </em>
  <span>song, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Ser hoy es un riesgo de extrema valía! Ser un ser despierto o seguir sin vida!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz leaned in, and rested her cheek—she tried not to pass through, thank you—on Camila’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“In the darkness be light… be the guide…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and whispered: “I love you </span>
  <em>
    <span>mamí…</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I miss you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss you too, my baby…” Camilla whispered, and Luz opened her eyes, looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Camilla had her eyes closed, did she…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I found a place where I belong, you know?” she whispered with a giggle, “and someone who loves me just as much as you do…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla didn’t seem to listen, and Luz felt like something was pulling her, she was running out of time…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve found people who like me, you know?” She said a new burning sensation in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For god’s sake, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a crybaby!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like to go to school now!” she continued, her surroundings fading, “I got friends on upper grades, and my friend is so cute and strong! I got this buddy, his name is Augustus, but I call him Gus and- and, god, mom I want you to meet Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled and the room vanished, she saw only Camilla and the door, her mom was standing up and turning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I found a family!” She shouted, “One that loves me as much as you do! It has a weird demon that is like my brother and a crazy aunt that is just so snob… but in a good way!” She rushed, “It… it has a crazy cousin, he is the house, and he is horribly annoying, but we love him anyway and… and… and I got another mom…” she said, closing her eyes. “She is not like you but… but she is… she is </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and fought the sobs, she was sharing something </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She didn’t need to cry about it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is reckless, and mean, and tactless but… but she cares about me…” Luz continued, “she got me into school, and bought me clothes! She… she helped me with my date for a dance, and she cooks with me, just like you do…! And… and she reads with me at night… she takes care of me when I have nightmares… and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz swallowed and looked at Camilla, who was just opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I love her,” she said, “just like I love you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mamí…</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw Camilla flinch and reach for something in her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A photo of them…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz watched Camilla kiss the photo and put it back in her pocket, she looked one last time to the house and walked out, closing the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was alone in the darkness again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… But Luz didn’t feel alone anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks…” she whispered and looked at the necklace; the light in it was back to the small white flame she had seen when Eda gave it to her. “Seems like she is always pushing me to go further…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and turned around, the lights from before were back, and she could see them clearly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew what those were… where she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to find my way back…” she whispered and closed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence, but she knew it would come to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had heard Camilla, and they were dimensions apart!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she waited, maybe for a minute, maybe for an hour, or maybe a day, she didn’t know…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s ears perked up, and she turned towards the sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The moon is in its place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz opened her eyes and saw the light, all the white lights were moving so fast everywhere!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she knew the direction already.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Come on, come on!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, glaring ahead. “Just one more time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The night when my mission shall begin anew… the night that will be payback for all those wasted years…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Belos talk!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz saw a line, just like before, this one was a bright red, a color like the dawn, and she moved following it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a space, a silhouette of light, but with no center, a ring similar to flame shining in an almost white yellow and burning deep orange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her place!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m going back to where I belong!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, diving into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt something different immediately, even when her vision became black again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You are just as bothersome as you were before,” Belos voice said and Luz frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rude much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to close her eyes—it wouldn’t make much of a difference but still—to no avail, so she just waited, she just needed him to keep up his monologue a little more, to be a classical villain!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All those years, all those resources… it was all for today,” he continued and Luz saw a blurry image.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Agent cero, cero, Luz is on the case!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, and managed to move a finger!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My own door got destroyed that time, that entire expedition was for nothing,” Belos said and Luz’s ears perked up. “I put so much into it, I fought so bad to gain the power I needed to maintain the order… if that damn nuisance hadn’t shown up… if only Lilith had known more, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lilith?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luz thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos chuckled. “But the ‘what ifs’ are inconsequential now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz could hear him clearly! His voice was stronger, too! She was almost back!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The time has finally come, ain’t it?” he said so lowly and Luz felt something grace her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt metal around her neck; she felt the socks on her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just a bit more… just a bit more and she’d be back in her body!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos voice came again. “It’s time I get what I worked for, Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt something stabbing her, the pain shoot through her body and she flinched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes recovered and she saw Belos in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was back on her body alright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Eda shouted and dropped Lilith and Amity before she jumped towards Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man looked at her and raised his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glowing red bindings shoot from the ground and pulled her down, she fought and managed to break through some, but new ones just kept coming and coming!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until she was trapped, watching the magic dagger that Belos had made in Luz middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bastard!” she roared, “Let me free to destroy you, you fucking, senseless piece of shit!” she shouted while tears burned her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, please,” he said and moved his hands to the side. “Don’t do this to yourself ‘Owl Lady’, the sight of the beast is already pathetic enough… why would you be also a </span>
  <em>
    <span>sentimental </span>
  </em>
  <span>one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A heartless bitch like you would never get it!” she screamed and the wet sensation ran down her cheeks. “You just keep taking what’s important from others!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her and moved his hand, the ground under her rose and she was face to face with the monster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is but the Titan’s will,” he said and raised his hand, red magic forming on his fingertips, “just like it was, fourteen years ago, when you tried to change it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was… cold and… lonely…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did I… die…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda didn’t even feel a change in the air around her when that idea crossed her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was dead, right? Belos had killed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was OK with that, really, she was supposed it would happen someday, she was a criminal after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Then why was she sad?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She really didn’t mind much, she was free, she had fun, she had friends, a roommate, some other pals, and buddies, she had boyfriends, some girlfriends too!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…She fell in love…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When did she do that, though?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t really make much out of it, but she remembered little bits now, she was… she was… she used to love someone so bad… so bad that it hurt… so bad that it tickled…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So bad that it mattered…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she let that go?</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I love you, but back there... back there is my home.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s lips moved on her own. </span>
  <b>“This could be </b>
  <b>
    <em>our </em>
  </b>
  <b>home, just for us!”</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>…You mean that?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Always…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda saw it, a little flash of silver and gold, a little, so little reflection of starlight and snow. She saw red, and blue, white and black. She felt a thug on her hand and a warm sensation on her waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“I wish time would stop now.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>“Then we’d never get to meet her, right?” </b>
  <span>Eda said.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You have a point there.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>She got so cold all of the sudden, the air around her was heavy, the currents freezing and she was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Something kept hitting her from above and there was a horrible sound coming from far away.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Come with me!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>“I can’t, they’ll follow us if I do!” </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda said and felt something between her hands, it was wet, and soft, and warm and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…And it felt like something invaluable.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“…You said this could be our home… that we’d do this together.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda felt how the tears rolled down her cheeks, the pain that she was feeling inside become worse and worse, almost numbing the pain she was feeling on her skin.</span>
</p><p><b>“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” </b><span>She cried,</span> <b>“I’m sorry I can’t go…”</b></p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“…Then promise me this is not the end…”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes snapped open, and she saw chocolate eyes, a hoping smile covered in bruises and desperate tears that mixed with a hopeful look…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she leaned in, kissing her with all the love she didn’t even know she could give.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“This is not the end…” </b>
  <span>Eda whispered and snapped her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of light covered her field of view, she was sure she pushed her through something and she flew, taking a… a box? A suitcase?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know, but she did understand that her time was up… that she had cut her own rope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was back in the darkness, back in the cold, her mind fighting to forget, while her heart fought to not to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t make out a moment of her life with those eyes in it, not a single one, but yet, her body, her </span>
  <em>
    <span>soul</span>
  </em>
  <span> was screaming that those were the best moments of them all!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Luz came…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The laughs, the jokes, the cooking, the stories, the fights, the tears, the hugs, the words, the moments-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The love…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is not over…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Not even close!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda roared and pushed herself forward, crashing against Belos damn face and hearing something hit the ground, she opened her eyes and saw Luz, the kid had her head turned towards her, and differently from before, differently from the dead eyes she had shown her, even though the red glow was still there, Eda knew it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her kid was OK!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I must say… you are quite stubborn!” Belos said and made a new binding appear, she felt how it pulled her back, getting away from Luz and crashing against a wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!” she heard Lilith’s voice and then she heard her scream, something smashed against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked to the side, the Blight kid and Lily were tied to her!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This nonsense ends now!” Belos shouted and a wave of magic made the air heavier, Eda crashed against the ground once again, her body too heavy for her to lift!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz… Luz…” Amity said pushing herself against Eda, but falling again on her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry… short stuff…” Eda said and smirked. “That bastard won’t get… what he… wants…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos turned around and moved towards Luz, his hands took out the magic dagger, blood didn’t come out, nor did Luz move from the pain. Eda watched the blade become mist and float around Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Edalyn, the spell is completed!” Lilith shouted, “We have to stop him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s too late for that, Lilith!” Belos replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily,” Eda cut her sister, “it’s OK.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! We are about to lose Lucelyn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s OK,” Eda said and looked up at her sister, smiling. “My kid won’t lose to Belos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back to the front and nodded. Luz would be fine, she knew that much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was amazing after all!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s head was buzzing, her body ached and she was really sure that she hadn’t been more uncomfortable in her entire life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was in her body again; she was in control again, just feeling a little numb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that just made Belos surprise all the sweeter possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not… you are not reacting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down, the magic Belos was trying to force into her was... was avoiding her? The red mist was passing around her, she looked up at Belos, and the man was stiff, the mask avoiding any emotions to leak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she knew he wasn’t happy anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is this happening? I did it all accordingly!” he shouted and Luz looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head was still fuzzy, and, hell, she was tired. Wasn’t she in the middle of the void just a few seconds ago? What had happened, where was she…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And what was that familiar… cold?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew that sensation…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be getting erased by now!” Belos said and closed the distance, holding her face and making her look at him. “Why aren’t you receiving the power?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz studied his eyes, those blue rings became a burning red and she shivered, something kicking from the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had seen those eyes before, long ago, really long ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ruined it before… how can you keep ruining my plans?!” he hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz’s mind went back to the forest, the swamp, that cold, that pain, that suffering, the fear, that desperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was you…” she whispered, and Belos eyes grew. “You did that to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with her scream, something inside of her snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t understand what happened after that, just that the restrains around her disappeared, that the air around her became hot and vibrant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that her chest hurt, really hurt her, just like that time she had done magic without a limit for the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?!” Belos shouted and Luz looked up, he was away from her, his hand was… was it smoking? “How did you free yourself, how did you break my seal?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked and looked down, her body felt… weird, something was beating at the same time as her heart, and something was running through her veins along with her blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back, and the dark mirror showed her the Princess, but the reflections shifted, the image changing slowly, the black crystal reflecting bright, orange light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw herself… kind of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hair was moving, a clearer shade of red—it was basically orange—shone in her lock along with the brown, her clothes were slightly floating too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her eyes weren’t red anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this?” she whispered, moving a hand up to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes were shining again, but the glow she had that time wasn’t the red one she had seen before, no… it was a powerful orange and yellow, a warm light, a welcoming one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like the dawn, just the light glyphs… just like…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just like Eda’s magic…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought and her eyes opened a bit more to the realization. “I… I’m so stupid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…” Belos said and she turned to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was hunching, his hand closed too strongly around his staff and she could swear his breath was picking speed. The spell must have taken a toll on him, his body reaching a limit he wasn’t ready to touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did want to possess </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>body…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep ruining it, and ruining it!” He said and Luz braced herself. “You first disappear… you then fight me, you won’t give in! No matter what I do?!” He glared at her and the magic around him began to overflow. “Give it back! My blood, my time, my efforts, my schemes, my materials, my portal, my</span>
  <em>
    <span> magic!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz jumped to the side, avoiding Belos blast of magic and she looked up at him, she glared at the man and reached for her side, but didn’t find anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t have my glyphs!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The medal Belos had given her shone over her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just keep running!” He screamed, attacking again, Luz dived under his attack and turned around, dashing towards the torches. “You can’t just do what you are supposed to?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not supposed to do anything for you!” she shouted and hid behind one of the torches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re to do anything for me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos scream was followed by a new wave of magic, Luz looked down, the ground under her feet started to give in and she cringed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p><span>She tensed at the scream and looked to the side, Eda, Lilith, and Amity</span>—<em>Amity?! </em>No, no, the matter at hand came first, Luz needed to focus!—<span>were on the sides, immobilized by chains.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Luz, catch!” Amity shouted, throwing something at her, something small and full of... patches?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her side bag!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz ran, jumping from a falling piece of ground to the other, making sure to boost herself and never look back at the raging figure that Belos was in that moment, reaching for her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t do that!” Belos scream was followed by pressure in her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she couldn’t breathe, Luz fell, her side bag fell next to her, but she could reach it. Her hands went to her neck, and she felt metal closing around it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fucking medal!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will give it back…” Belos voice came, “all you ever took from me! My blood, my power… all of it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This idiot doesn’t see?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, trying to pull the metal away, but it was useless, she wasn’t strong enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked towards the sound, Eda was fighting desperately against the chains, Lilith trying to burn them with magic and Amity was </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she going to… to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…No… no she wasn’t!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes went to Belos, and her mind repeated the only words that mattered to her at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You… are… not… beating… me!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a thug inside her, the pressure on her chest grew bigger and she felt something moving inside of her, a nostalgic feeling…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was… it was her magic?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sensed it, her mind was fading, but her body moved by memory, reaching into her pocket, she picked a small, round, and… warm, really warm object.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think you’ll be forgiven for all that you took from me!” Belos screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Luz didn’t care about what he said, she pulled out the object and glared at him raising her hand and letting the energy inside of her flow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like before…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the magic took its shape in front of her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The spell circle was huge; the inside of it got filled with the fire glyph in an instant and then the whole light of it consumed itself, blasting a torrent of flames towards Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impossible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, right!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Luz thought, and moved her hand up, running her magic through the little thing in it, a new circle of light appeared, this time in front of her face, the spell circle was orange again, but the inside was filled with clear blue light, and the ice glyph took form, she felt the metallic chain around her neck cooling and then tensing, cracking...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until it broke!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned forward, coughing and taking all the air she could into her lungs. She closed her eyes and kneeled before looking at her hand, there was a soft light coming from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You always made things for me… and I thought it’ll be just an accessory…” she whispered, standing up and opening her fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s necklace shinned in greetings for her, and she smiled, looking at the gemstone change its pattern, the glyphs inside of it moving like the colors of a rainbow in the middle of a storm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How… how?!” she heard Belos scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at the man, he was standing, but he was shivering, Luz smiled at that and sighed, taking the ends of the chain of the necklace and moving to link it around her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My mom is a really crafty woman,” Luz replied and smiled at him. “And she knows what I need the most.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos roared at her response. “That’s impossible! You shouldn’t be able to break the medal! It was your soul in it! It was my blood in it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That medal might have been made with a piece of my bracelet, but it didn’t have my soul in it,” Luz said and reached for the gemstone. “Not after you put it on me… my soul came back to me, that little part you thought you could use to control me… to steal my body from me came back to where it belonged!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos rose his staff and blasted a new wave of magic, Luz raised her hand and felt the thug again, her chest hurt her but she managed to run magic through her body, she snapped her fingers and the magic went to her necklace, in front of her a huge spell circle appeared, the ice glyph flashed from a second before the spell activated, a massive ice wall appearing in front of her just in time to take the blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My blood… the blood you consumed wouldn’t allow it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, about that? You miscalculated!” Luz shouted, running to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dived under a rain of stone shards and rolled until she was next to Eda’s staff, she reached out for it and grasped it, a little flash of light came from her necklace and a new feeling pulled its way through her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, spinning the staff at the same time she ran magic through the necklace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up and made a spell circle, just like Eda had done before, just like Lilith and done before and she pointed towards Belos, her fire owl appearing once again in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Welcome back, my friend.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and her smile became soft. “Now, go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl left out a shriek and flew straight for Belos, the man screamed and moved his staff a barrier taking place around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her spell hit, breaking it and pushing him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked but flinched, the pain inside her was growing strong and stronger.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What the hell?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, holding her chest over her heart with one hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t get to act like that!” Belos shouted, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>miscalculated?! You are wielding a power I gave you! My blood, my influence! Is what allows you to canalize the magic of the isles through your stupid body!” He rose his staff again, a new mass of magic forming itself over it. “That humankind along with witch blood would never be enough without my blood!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked and sighed. “And that’s why I say you miscalculated,” Luz said and bent down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, and took her side bag; it had been a nightmare to get it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it yourself, didn’t you?” she asked, placing the bag on her hip and attaching it, taking out four glyph cards. “You sent your blood so the newborns would consume it in the isles, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos stared at her, and Luz ran her magic through the glyphs, the thug inside of her came back, but she controlled it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she felt like something stabbed her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that... the magic running through her? It never hurt before!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then again, I’ve been blocked and I never ran this much for so long…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, closing one eye at the painful sensation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Anime makes the sudden power-ups look easier to grasp… is it just because the seal blocked the magic from getting in for so long, or...?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it?!” Belos shouted, releasing his spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and threw the glyphs ahead, she had to concentrate! So, she started spinning Eda’s staff and made a new spell circle, no glyph appearing inside of that one. She blasted the magic to the front and hit the glyphs, the ice and pant glyph started immediately, creating a barrier of roots and ice that blocked Belos attack, and when they vanished? The light and fire threw a counterblast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos reacted barely in time to raise a barrier, he stared at her and Luz smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t born in the Boiling isles!” She shouted, and her smile grew when the realization fell on Belos—if his body language was a pointer, and she guessed it was—making him back away. “So a human and a witch </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough to reach this power!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spun the staff and jumped, taking flight and reaching for new glyph cards at the same time she blasted fireballs towards the man, Belos didn’t reply at her. He raised a barrier and counterattacked; Luz smirked while avoiding his blasts and then landed at the other side of the man, running magic through the glyphs she left behind while flying, a wall of ice grew, separating Belos and her from the rest of the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to set the scene, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she smiled, ‘Bonesborough’s’ lights behind her and Belos in front of her, the moonlight giving her the perfect lightning and her own glow—she really hoped it’ll last!—creating the perfect picture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>your daughter, nor a princess!” she shouted, spinning the staff and letting the new spell circle she drew with it point upwards. “I’m Lucelyn Luz Clawthorne Noceda! I’m a wild witch, daughter and apprentice of Edalyn Clawthorne, niece of Lilith Clawthorne, and fighter of freedom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left the pain run through her and heard the screech, looking up for a single second and smiling at the giant mass of magic in the shape of an owl she had called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a wandering witch,” she finished and absorbed the magic around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The owl flew inside of her, becoming part of the magic that ran havoc inside her body, it hurt, but she knew she’d needed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at Belos and smile. “I’m me, old man, and it’s time for payback!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King rolled and avoided a few guards that were running to the stairs before he groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does this people not see me?!” He cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus held him the collar a pulled him. “No! That’s the point!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy sighed and kept running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris had guided them through multiple passages from the armory to the exhibition room, and from there on, she had pulled out some little stuns with a secret door inside rooms and some service passages to avoid the fallen debris and walls that blocked the main stairs up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just how had managed Eda and Lilith to make such a disaster!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow,” Klaris said and pointed ahead. “We need to clear the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl smiled and got her hand inside the gantlet they had taken from the exhibition. “On it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would never get used to such a power being used that easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A huge hand made of wood grew from the accessory and pushed away from the rocks and pieces of the wall, clearing their way and letting them go through. King watched the kid take the thing off and put it back on her belt, next it was the other object they took.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ‘Healers Hat’.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That thing can cure Eda?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wondered, looking at it more intensely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, he could feel something from the things, but magic so powerful that would dispel any curse? Nope, zero, nada!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is the door to the yard!” Klaris said and King’s head snapped up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman passed through it and Willow followed closely, Gus being the last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the scene they saw was not normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in the name of-?!” he shouted and Gus jumped aside, almost dropping him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was blasting waves of magic against Belos, the Emperor rising barrier after barrier for each blast, every impact strong enough to crack the stone under them!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And was Luz </span>
  <em>
    <span>glowing?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to catch a better look at the situation, but the hot air—or cold, depending on which spell Luz had decided to drop—stung his eyes and he couldn’t make out a single thing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell happened?!” Gus shouted, getting next to Klaris and Willow, who were protecting them with a wall of vines and waves of illusion flames. “I thought Luz needed rescuing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like not,” Klaris commented, looking over their little wall. King got down Gus’s arms and walked aside, catching a glimpse of the battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz rose her hand, two cards on it, and then she threw them, spun Eda’s staff, and blasted a wave of fire directly towards Belos. The man covered himself and when the attack was over and his barrier down, he rose his staff to attack, but Luz snapped her finger, and from the ground—where the cards had landed—a set of frozen vines came up, holding Belos and lifting him before smashing him against the floor reputedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is holding nicely,” he commented before he caught sight of Luz again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was breathing hard, holding her chest, and the glow around her flickered, she was sweating a lot, too, and her face shifted from her happy grin to a grimace for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King swallowed. “She is pain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Gus asked, he was peaking from over King’s head. “She is beating him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not so sure about that,” Willow said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Belos created a mass of magic around him that set him free from the vines, he then proceeded to blast a laser of dark red magic towards Luz, who just managed to spin Eda’s staff and create an ice shield barely in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is suffering, I may not know why, but I know she is!” He shouted and turned at them, “we need to do something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, exactly?” Klaris asked, hiding again, “that fight is way over my liege.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have a relic, don’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gantlet that grows plants and a hat that heals? Great arsenal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did we take them then?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because we were thinking on getting here and leaving fast?” The woman said and looked over the edge again, “I don’t see Eda or Lilith…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King groaned and sniffed the air, the ash, ice, and burning plants’ scent hurt his nose, but he concentrated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were things only he could do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can smell them,” he said and moved to the left, opening his eyes and staring at his reflection. “They are behind this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked at him and then at the wall of ice. “Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t make mistakes when it comes to Eda’s breath!” He shouted and closed his eyes again, taking a new sniff—just in case!—and caught Eda’s scent, along with Lilith’s and- “Luz’s mean girlfriend is with them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amity is with Eda and Lilith?!” Willow screamed and almost fell when the ground shook under them. “How did she find them?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe they found her?” Gus offered, “I mean, we did get separated when there was that crash-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not important right now, is it?!” King shouted, “what are we going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a crashing sound and Klaris looked at the door, before looking at the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The guards must be getting prepared to come here!” the woman said and turned to them. “Let’s close the doors! We can think of something else later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus and Willow nodded, but King had other plans!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to go talk to Eda and ask why the heck she wasn’t helping Luz fight-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are coming with us!” Willow said and held him by the collar, pulling him along. “Huh, you are like a purse demon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a purse!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did say he didn’t mind being a nuisance, but being baggage?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Ugh, tiny legs… he asked for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz clashed her magic against Belos’, the expansive force enough to crack the ground around them. She jumped and blasted fire, the necklace felt like a part of her, just like her bracelet had done at the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she felt… stronger like something was better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a hit in her middle and was sent flying up, she pointed her hand at Belos and thought of the fire glyph. Her eye caught sight of the gemstone, inside of it, the small light she had seen Eda gave it to her became bright red at the same time the spell circle appeared in front of her hand, and in the same way, the light deformed, creating the glyph at the same exact moment it appeared inside the spell circle before it became a fireball.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So this is why it feels different!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, the excitement running through her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She might be in a battle for her life, but she was all in to appreciate the power-up!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She landed and glared at Belos before jumping forward and raising her hand, the ice glyph appeared in the spell circle at that time and she created a lance of ice and crashed against Belos barrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lance shattered and the fragments cut her hands, she clenched her jaw to avoid screaming and felt a piece of rumble hit her in the stomach, all the air leaving her before she even hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kneeled, coughing and spitting, she looked up and saw Belos standing there, his eyes shining in that horrible glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should just give in, and everything will be given to you,” Belos whispered while offering her a hand. “Why won’t you become who you need to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the hand… and laughed. “…For someone who prides himself on being wise, you are really stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up in shaky legs and bleeding hands, her mouth was dry and her heart was beating so </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard </span>
  </em>
  <span>that it was like it could explode at any second, pain was her main perception… and yet, she was calm, her mind clear and her soul in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d always choose the same,” she said, straightening her back and smiling. “I prefer to die as I am now, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that live a single moment as who you want me to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her and raised his free arm, the ground behind him began to rise, transforming slowly on a green mass of muscle and blood. Luz stared at the monster that was born out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are nothing without my guidance,” Belos said, pressuring his staff against Luz’s. “You are just a child!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Luz replied, getting her glyph cards out and overlapping the fire and plant ones, “that would make two of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos glare became more marked and Luz’s smile grew wider, she stopped pushing, letting him move and dived, Belos passed over her and she rolled, to the side, getting away from the monster’s field of view, raising her cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pull inside her made her trip and she hit the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Damn it you-!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and rolled on her back, facing the descending monster. “Flames of fury and grief, bloom in the form of a flower that blazes through dawn and dusk, and become a power that shows my truth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was happy to see that the plant came out from next to her and build up a dome over her, the flower that she managed to see blooming had petals made of pure red and yellow flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wow… good shield…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, rolling again and standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just to feel something hitting her middle and sending her flying until she hit the ice wall she had made before, the frozen surface cracked behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Little kid, you are still too young to even dream of beating me!” Belos said and spun his staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz coughed and looked up, her eyes growing wide when she caught sight of not one, but five of those monsters. She bit her lip and slowly stood up, getting out a new set of cards and running magic through them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she felt it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart jab her, a burning sensation of pain made her drop the cards and she coughed, her vision becoming blurry and her ears buzzing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Out of luck it seems,” she heard Belos and looked up, the man was visibly tired, but he was still standing. “You are still not ready for that much power… your body can’t handle the pressure, it seems… you’ll just burn yourself down if we continue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz glared at him and bent down, taking the cards again and breathing with all her might.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard ya,” Luz interrupted him, closing her eyes. “That doesn’t change anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll die, little idiot!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And something worse awaits me if I don’t fight you now,” she replied, opening her eyes. “And you just told me how to win this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos moved his head. “Did I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Luz replied and ran her magic through the glyphs again, flinching before continuing. “If my body can’t stand this… that just means yours can’t, either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The step back he took gave Luz the reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ll just stretch this…” Luz said and smiled, “I’m younger than you, thus, I’ll win a stamina battle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her and moved his hand, the monster attacked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz raised her hand, ready to repeat the incantation from before, but the pain rushed like a rain of needles, leaving her voiceless. She wouldn’t make it time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s OK, you are not fighting alone…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz felt something pulling her cape and she was away from the ground the very next second, she looked up and saw grey hair and feathers along with blue and purple flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda…?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was thrown up and landed on the back of the beast, looking at the two witches that were blasting fire down. Amity looked at her and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please tell me you can’t make it worse than this?” she said and Luz blinked before laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys saved me down there-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith cut her. “We are still in danger!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had to cling to Eda’s feathers for her life when her mother and mentor dived under the incoming monster’s mouth, and she looked back down, one of the monsters was burning in the ground, already defeated, but there were still four to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta get down there…” she said and moved the staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the pain shot through her chest and she almost fell from Eda’s back, if it wasn’t for Amity holding her middle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what’s happening to you, but you clearly can’t go down there now!” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I have to! I’m the only one strong enough to face him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not in this state!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No </span>
  <em>
    <span>buts</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Amity said and pulled her close, hugging her. “You are not fighting </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You have Eda, and Lilith, and me!” Amity pulled away and looked into her eyes. “So stop fighting like there is nobody there for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared at the girl and nodded, too concentrated on how Amity’s tears shined under the moonlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That girl was a danger for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do I do then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For now? Stop flirting and figure out a way to stop this bastard!” Eda shouted and landed on one of the monster’s heads, using her claws to rip it open and letting Lilith drop a mass of fire inside of it before taking off. “I can taste the soap opera air around you two, and I’m fighting here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blushed and bit back a laugh, pulling away from Amity and looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos was looking at them, she couldn’t see his eyes, but she was sure by how his movements were becoming slower that his limit was closing in. She reached for her necklace and felt the magic inside her, the pressure was still horrible and her heart felt like a spike was piercing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she could still go on…! She hoped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out!” Luz heard Lilith’s voice before Eda got hit by one of the monsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz fell from her back, her hand letting go of the staff in the impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No puede ser cierto</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she shouted and spun around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A new monster was under her his mouth open, she reached for her side bad and readied a fire glyph-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And a plant arm got a grip on her, pulling her to the left, and avoiding her being eaten. She looked at the thing and then to the side, her smiling at the sight of dark green hair and glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!” she said when her feet touched the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you not to fight giant monsters without me!” her friend shouted while glaring at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz backed off and almost fell. “Sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow’s glare remained and she walked up to her… hugging her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so damn worried, you moron!” Willow cried on her shoulder and Luz felt tears coming out of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not time for tears, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have a situation here,” she said, pulling away and rubbing her eyes. “You can lecture me later!” she said, turning around and glaring at Belos, who seemed to be more interested in Eda and Lilith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think you’ll get out of that!” Willow said and held her shoulder, “And wait for a second!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it-?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s reply got cut when she felt something on her head; she looked up and saw a deep blue hat’s edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Eh?” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the magic began to flow around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt her body cooling down, how it regained strength and how the pain she was feeling a minute ago started to subside. When the rush of energy was gone, she took the thing off, looking at the feather that had the form of the Healers coven stigma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this?” she asked, looking at Willow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One of the great relics! Like this one!” her friend said showing her a wooden gauntlet. “Klaris showed us where they were kept!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we could only take two before the guards and Kikimora saw us,” Luz heard a voice and looked around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a hand on her arm and looked to the left, there, Gus, King, and Klaris appeared from thin air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And invisibility spell?!” she cried out and looked at the woman, “You are amazing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much, your buddy here did most of the work with the technical part,” she replied, patting Gus in the head. “And damn, running is horrible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could’ve used your staff,” King commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, you think you can beat that douchebag?!” Gus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her friend and then at Belos, the man was creating a huge mass of magic that was aimed at Eda who was in the middle of three of the remaining monsters, Lilith and Amity with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grimaced and sighed before smiling at her friend. “I don’t believe in impossible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave the hat to Klaris and then turned to the battlefield; she searched for Eda’s staff and found it just a few feet away from Belos. She bit her lower lip and raised her hands, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said never again, but I don’t have a choice!” she said, opening her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A spell circle appeared in front of her, and it had the ice glyph inside of it. The ground from her standing point to the staff got frozen and she smiled, moving her hands backward, the new spell circle appeared and the fire glyph must have filled it, she felt the heat forming itself immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Here we go!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and released her spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Irregular terrain wasn’t a friend of hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dashed from one point to another in an instant, almost missing the staff, but she managed to get a grip on it and ran magic through it, covering in a cape of magic power, she looked at Belos who was about shot and took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, butt-face!” she screamed with all her strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos turned around but didn’t have time to react more than that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She impacted him in the middle with the staff, hitting him like a baseball ball, and sending him flying to a wall, but his spell was already done, the trajectory of it had changed, hitting one of the monsters and causing it to explode.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which separated Lilith, Eda, and Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz tensed and ran, jumping and getting on Owlbert, flying as fast as she could towards the three witches. She reached out for Amity and caught her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You OK?!” she shouted, looking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity—who was looking at the ground—looked up and smiled. “This is worth more than a smoothie Noceda! I want dinner!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and nodded, turning towards the remaining falling witches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was already back in the air and she dove after Lilith, Luz prepared herself to dive after the other Clawthorne too, but one monster got in front of her, she pulled up and saw how a mass of purple fire hit the damn thing in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m getting tired of these!” Amity shouted and Luz bit back a new laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All that situation was hopeless, and she was laughing?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flew making a full turn back and closed her distance to the ground, letting Amity run on it a bit before letting her go and taking the highs again. She looked back at the witch left out a shaky breath when she saw Gus taking Amity’s hand just for them to disappear into thin air.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“One thing less!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought and looked down, the remaining monster was chasing her, and its master was kneeling on the ground, but standing! “That dude doesn’t fall with anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started a vertical absence, and took out three fire glyph cards, running her power through them, the jab she felt was intense, but she bit back her reaction and continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taping the magic of the isles was powerful, but combining it with her left her a bit more room to act after all!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped two of the three and speeded up, rising higher and higher until the air was so thin she could barely breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she turned around, letting her glyph card activate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Burn…” she said, breathless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire glyph consumed itself and the reaction she wished for was instantaneous, the flames burned bright orange and yellow fire that grew bigger and brighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was more oxygen on the higher parts just before you ran out of it, purer air.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That human realm class ended up being useful!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and dived saw her massive fireball fall towards the monster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully for her, the thing couldn’t change its momentum in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mass of flames hit it bullseye and she smiled, letting the gravity take her down and starting a free fall, she looked at Belos, who was glaring at her and making a new spell already, she frowned and snapped her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From two sides of the battlefield, fire lances shot themselves against the man, forcing him to raise a barrier and pushing him back against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smirked and got Owlbert to open his wings, she flew until she was barely one meter above the ground and moved, Owlbert closing his wings and letting her land on the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Had enough?!” she asked when her spells were over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her, his cape burned down on the edges, his mask cracking and his eyes shining on a dreadful crimson red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz bit her lip and spun Eda’s staff, making a new spell circle. “I guess not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not even close,” Belos said and blasted a wave of magic against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she opened her eyes, everything was so damn dark that she thought she still hadn’t opened them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You OK, Lily?” Edalyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and tried to move, her shoulder hurt! “Ye-Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked at the momentary flash and looked up, they had passed through the ceiling and were now in some room on the third floor, maybe, she recognized the bunkers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are on the elite soldiers’ quarters,” she said and stood up, looking around. “Not so far, at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not so far?” Edalyn asked and shook herself, pieces of stone fell from her feathers. “that was a horrible fall!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith grimaced. “Well, the quarters are in a space between the third and the second floor after all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, shit, genius,” her sister said, marking each word. “Now we need to get out of here and up there, fast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith nodded and moved to hop on her sister, but stopped when she saw the red stain on Edalyn’s wing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are hurt!” she said and closed the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her membrane was ripped and the muscle damaged, Lilith took a sharp breath before making a healing spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can’t be that bad!” Eda said and flinched when trying to move away. “…OK, it can be that bad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’ll be able to fly anymore,” Lilith said and bit her lip. “I can’t heal this completely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what are we going to do?!” Edalyn shouted. “I can’t pass through normal doors like this! And making them big enough is going to take too long!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s eyes went from the wound to the door and she sighed. Her sister was right, there was no way they’ll make it back to the yard in time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Not unless…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“…I guess I knew it would come down to this…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and closed her eyes. “Hey, Edalyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you happy with your life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got her sister to freeze, and Lilith looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was staring at her. “I… where is this coming from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you happy?” she asked again without a second of doubt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I am, actually,” Edalyn replied, “I got Luz, and King, and you… yeah, I know I’m not in my best condition and that I probably won’t do magic ever again but… but I’m happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked into her sister’s eyes for a long while, it was enough time for the wound on her wing to close at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she smiled. “I’m glad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, don’t think that it excuses you for cursing me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never,” Lilith said and moved to stand in front of her sister. “Are you proud of Lucelyn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister blinked and sighed. “What’s with these crazy-ass questions, Lily?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you proud?” she asked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…The kid managed to push that damned bastard away,” Eda said and smiled, “the so-called ‘most powerful witch ever’! Hell yes, I’m proud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilit smiled and moved closer. “She may have, but we’ll need to fix this form if we want any chance of a somewhat normal life after this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn gaped at her. “Wait! So you are telling me you can? Then let’s do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can but… I won’t be able to do anything about your magic,” Lilith said and held her sister’s face. “Are you sure you want to change back now? We could use the beast’s strength.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda chuckled. “While I’d love to have that on our side as much as you, I don’t think me being this big would do us any good anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a good point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a lot of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Proud much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, just statements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, your ego is a problem you should talk with someone, Klaris does have a degree-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily, while this is such an interesting and important topic that we will never discuss again, my kid is still fighting a maniac up there.” Eda moved her wings and pointed to the stairs. “Could you help me so I can actually go and help her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at her and sighed. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, now, what are you going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something I should’ve done a long time ago,” Lilith replied and placed her forehead on her sister’s. “With the spell declared, let the pain be </span>
  <em>
    <span>shared.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>...</p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was longer because I thought of making it into two, but then I thought that I didn't want that, I liked the massive change and pace transformation I managed here.<br/>Now, yeah... Belos isn't, well, you know.<br/>I've been throwing that hint, who found it?<br/>Wanna a clue?<br/>Flowers... Grom... Lavander...</p><p>Ringing any bells?</p><p>On the edition of the story matter, it'll be after I've posted the last chapter, and after I've managed to post the series "Flames and Lights" that I promised my dear readers!</p><p>Also, there are new projects coming and I'll try to start taking art a bit more seriously, so you can also go check that on Instagram and Twitter, but I doubt you are interested, but there's that.<br/>My work is getting heavy, so my pace will be getting slower, but as I said before, this story is done and counted for, so don't worry! Next week we'll have our closing chapter!</p><p>That's... uh... depressing at the same time it's happy for me... thanks so much for reading, ppl, it means the world to me knowing there is somebody out there that enjoys my writing even if just a little.</p><p>Imma go before I cry.</p><p>G_U out, peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Boundless Magic, Bounded Souls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When the night comes to an end when the light of dawn shines over the world.<br/>what is a hero? But the one who stands again?<br/>and what is a story, if it doesn't reach its end?<br/>Luz fight, Eda's fight... Belos fight...<br/>what is the ending that all of them are about to face?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Final chapter, and that it's something I can say I'm proud and sad.<br/>I don't have many words for this.<br/>I'm a bit sad I didn't get the comments from some really old readers in the previous chapter, but the story must go on, so here we are.<br/>This is my longest fanfic ever, and I'm so happy that you people had enjoyed it so far.<br/>But now, it's time for the final act.<br/>I'll read you at the end!<br/>Playlist: Final countdown / Make it Shine - Victorious / History has its eyes on you - Hamilton / I lived - One republic / The Journey starts today - Pokemon Journies<br/>Disclaimer: The Owl House and its character don't belong to me, this story is made with the sole purpose of entertain its readers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>“I often find myself wondering, what does it take to make a family?</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Is it blood? Is it history? Or maybe is it some kind of magic we’ll never comprehend?</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I won’t know…But I do hope…I just find myself wishing…</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I hope we only need love.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gus stared at her and groaned. “Saving your life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity bit back her rage and shook her head. She should be helping Luz out! She was barely standing when Eda managed to catch her and avoid all those monsters!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz needs help!” Amity replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we’ll get in her way if we try to do that!” Willow responded, holding her by the shoulders. “Look, I get how you feel, I really do, but Luz is in some kind of ‘boost mode’, and quite frankly? She is barely holding Belos back </span>
  <em>
    <span>without </span>
  </em>
  <span>having to care about protecting us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what are we supposed to do?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What we can,” Klaris said, and Amity turned towards her. “There is more than just beating Belos in play.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, why are you here?” King asked and Gus hit him in the head. “Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is the reason we are alive right now,” the illusion witch said, “you better don’t ask rude questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris sighed and groaned, looking at them. “I don’t even understand why I’m here, OK? But we need to keep this fight in a one-on-one if Luz has a chance of winning!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep it in a one-on-one?” Amity repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The coven soldiers must be already on their way up, and we closed the door before, but with that last attack, those two threw? No longer usable!” the woman said, fixing her glasses back in their place, “We need to stop the soldiers from getting to the yard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… how are we supposed to do that?” King asked, “They are hundreds, maybe thousands of witches, and we are three teens, a librarian, and a demon. I mean, I can take care of about half of them, but can you do the other half?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need to beat them,” Klaris said, turning to the stairs, “we have the advantages that this is the only entrance that it’s not down, so we can just fight them here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say it like that would make it easier,” Gus commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It will, they can only come one way, and even if they have all the kinds of magic, they can’t hit what they don’t see,” Klaris replied and winked at him, “You and I will make sure they don’t hit us, while Willow and Amity go and blast them to pieces.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at the woman and then looked down at her hands. “Sorry…. I’m almost out of power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? And you wanted to go and help Luz in that state?!” King shouted and Amity glared at the little jerk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been using magic like crazy since I brought us here, so sorry if my supply is not bottomless!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity felt something in her head and how magic ran through her body, her fatigue disappearing and her heart beating faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least it works like an energy drink,” Willow said, looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What-?” Amity asked, taking the thing on her head and looking at it. “The ‘Healer’s Hat’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a relic, sure enough,” Willow said and showed her the ‘Green Thumb Gantlet’. “They are handy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That hat can’t heal curses, but it replenishes magic well enough,” Gus said, placing it on his head, a wave of blue energy washed over him. “I’m invincible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better to keep that energy,” King said and took a bunch of rocks from the ground. “They’re coming!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity saw a mist of blue dust covering them and then the Emperor’s coven soldiers that were marching upstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better to use that aim you got playing Grugby,” Willow said and got the gantlet on, raising her hand towards the soldier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A giant fist came from the thing, smashing the soldiers against the wall and each other, pushing her back and making the ones she didn’t hit, fell downstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>New soldiers began to come up and Amity took a deep breath before making her spell come. Hands of abominations came from the ground and slapped the soldiers’ feet, making them fall and push down the ones behind them, gaining Willow enough time to attack again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll need to keep this up…” Willow whispered and amity nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a soldier who made a spell circle and dived under a lightning bolt that flew her way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really hope we know what we are doing…” she whispered, making a new spell and summoning a fireball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stopped and looked at Eda. “Edalyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” she asked, moving her hands. “Boy, it feels nice to be back into human form! That beast one sure had </span>
  <em>
    <span>long </span>
  </em>
  <span>nails-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we can do this?” Lilith asked, cutting her sister. “You think we can beat the Emperor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda sighed, and move closer to her, passing an arm over her shoulders and making her advance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll take a miracle,” Eda said, “and even then, probably not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so reassuring…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get me wrong, I’m all out for the win,” Eda said, marking each word, looking ahead. “But this guy haves an army, and you just have me, and I just have you, we could handle an army… if we could still do magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sound like my act of self-sacrifice there wasn’t anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You cursed me, to begin with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… You’ll never let me live that down, will you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now who is the one taking the weight of things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith laughed and looked ahead; the soldiers weren’t close, but she could hear the shouts, they were close to the northern stairs to the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she said and moved ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn reached her fast enough. “Don’t worry, you’ll have a lot of time to make amends later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There won’t be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>later </span>
  </em>
  <span>for either of you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith would’ve liked to jump aside, but she didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hit landed on her middle, something inside her crack, and she was coughing with her back smashed against a wall. She looked up and saw a barely standing Kikimora and a witch-like golem holding a mace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How comes you are… standing?” she asked and Kikimora’s glare became harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your filthy-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again with </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don’t you know other words?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora screamed at that and Lilith rolled when the mace was about to hit her, she looked around for her sister and saw Edalyn running to a corner. She stared and groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Did her sister leave to handle a bully for the first time, ever?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What a moment to break old habits!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought standing and jumping back, avoiding another swing from the stone puppet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were always a fucking nuisance!” Kikimora shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always called me distracting, that’s for sure!” she replied, diving under the incoming attack and surrounding the thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were a stupid kid who got lucky!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you are talking about my sister there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith moved side and left the next swing pass next to her, it barely grazed her, but it landed on a crack and it went through the floor, Lilith spun over herself and it the wood on the mace handle, breaking it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“All that training did some good!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, jumping back when the statue tried to hit her with its hands. “It doesn’t get easier, does it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor always thought you’d be useful, and he went such lengths for you!” Kikimora shouted and moved her puppet. “He trained you! Forgave you common roots, and even gave a fucking motivation! You were blessed, you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and you threw it all away, for what?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For my family!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That nonsense was worth years of sacrifice?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fact that you call it nonsense…” Lilith said and slid under the oncoming blow, she dashed towards Kikimora and kicked her, sending her against a wall. “Proves that you don’t understand how valuable that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora coughed and looked up. “You didn’t either! Not when the Emperor took it away before!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stared at the demon when those words reached her. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really thought the Emperor would let you be so free without a cost?” Kikimora asked, standing up in shaky legs. “That he wouldn’t punish you even when he knew who you were?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you recall it, Lilith?” Kikimora asked, “the year of your sister’s… </span>
  <em>
    <span>wedding?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith’s mind shook at those words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind rushed through images, fragments, and sounds, every single one louder and brighter than the previous one. She closed her eyes but her mind kept rushing through things, not giving her a second to actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>think!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha- What’s happening?!” she shouted and fell to her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Emperor’s magic,” Kikimora said, looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi-His…?” Lilith groaned, holding her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kikimora moved her hand and the sound of stoned moving alerted Lilith, she tried to move, but her headache got worse, it was like something was trying to crash it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did say that trying to remember would cause you horrible pain…” Kikimora commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why… why did he…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do this?” the demon finished, “you were getting… compromised, wishing to help your sister instead of taking pride in your position… just like you did this time…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith saw Kikimora’s puppet stand next to her, it’s arm was now a blade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he wanted to try to fix your loyalties again… but you became a hassle… a nuisance,” Kikimora said and her eye met Lilith’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no life in that yellow thing that Lilith saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reflect on your next life, will you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lilith saw her lower her hand-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just when a flower pot broke over her head, knocking her out, her marionette falling to the side before it could lower its weapon-arm. Lilith blinked at the unconscious Kikimora before she dared to look up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn was sweating and breathing really hard. “Don’t touch my sister!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… went… for a flower pot?!” Lilith shouted before a groan escaped her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain wasn’t stopping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted a weapon, but this place is a mess!” Edalyn replied and kneeled in front of her, “what was that about the year of my wedding?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mention of the event just managed to make her headache worse!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know!” she shouted and pushed Edalyn away, “make this shit stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn stared at her for a second, and then got her hand in her hair, dropping pieces of metal, some glass, and wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was about to pass out when Edalyn forced a glass bottle on her mouth, making her drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The liquid was cold, and it gave her a rush of relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took the thing from her sister’s hand and downed it in a single motion, taking deep breaths afterward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith looked at her sister and then down to the bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her elixir.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you gave me this?” Lilith asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn nodded and stood up, moving to the side and taking Kikimora’s small figure, charging her, and moving to the end of the corridor, Lilith stared at her before standing up and following her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you give me your elixir, Edalyn?” Lilith asked reaching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you seemed in pain, and I think I won’t need it anymore,” she said, opening a door, “Morton is really good on that area, isn’t he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith gaped. “Are you saying I have a curse?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serves you right, ain’t it?” her sister replied, “I think of it as poetic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poetic? Edalyn, my head felt like it was about to be cracked open!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just as I said! Poetic…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn!” Lilith groaned, “If what Kikimora said is true, that would mean you are married!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” her sister said, “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When Belos blasted me before,” Edalyn began, “I saw a flash of my past, something I didn’t remember… I still can’t. But I did see a pair of rings and someone with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith stared at her sister; trying to find the little glim she had when she played a prank or when a lie was successfully used.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there wasn’t anything like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn nodded. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Wow…” Lilith sighed and watched her sister again. “Why did you leave me thought? You could have told me the plan!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kikimora would’ve been wary about me,” her sister said, “and she would’ve probably defended from my attack.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you left me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please Lily, I’ve never left you back before, I wasn’t starting today,” she said and threw Kikimora inside the room, closing it and locking. “Besides, bad habits never die, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… that’s a good point, actually,” Lilith replied, “you are having a lot of those today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I ought to have a ‘lot of those’ if I got married,” she commented, “still can’t believe I forgot about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised someone married you at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are hard to be with, admit it,” Lilith said and giggled. “I’m more worried about the fact that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>forgot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that demon said Belos did play with your head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edalyn, Kikimora talked about at least a decade ago, much more than just your wedding could’ve been erased!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, and we’ll deal with it! I promise! But right now, Luz needs help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and covered her face. She could argue with her sister for eternity, but she did have a point there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get to the yard again,” she said and crossed her arms, starting to walk, “but if the soldiers are following protocol, there is going to be a sea of them on the only stairs available.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we need to pass through them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how are we supposed to do that?” Edalyn groaned, walking to stand in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Lilith replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her sister groaned again while hitting another door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That opened and showed them the upper floor armory; which got Lilith to smile, and her sister to grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you just solved that problem,” she said and took a sword.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edalyn’s grin grew and she took an ax. “Oh, I like where this is going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow was growing tired of attacking white robes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are the attacks coming from?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hit all the space!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My cape is on fire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed at the screams and tried not to think about the fact that she was committing treason at that very moment. Her eyes went to Amity, she was taking shallow breathes and using the magic hat again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That thing and the gantlet had been their salvation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity and Gus had run out of magic multiple times already, and Willow and Klaris had both lost their reserves twice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we can keep this up for much longer…” Willow whispered, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she heard metal crashing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she asked, opening her eyes and looking around, “Did you hear that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hear what?” Amity asked, blasting a new wave of fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a new clash and screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Oh, that…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gals, look over there!” Gus said and pointed to the end of the staircase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a new clash, and Willow that time managed to get a glimpse of soldiers flying over the other heads. She forced her sight and leaned closer, barely managing to see through the mass of people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was sure her jaw fell when she recognized the cause of that sudden change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are those-?” Amity began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And King finished it. “-Eda and Lilith!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move over, robe-heads!” Eda screamed, smashing multiple soldiers aside with a mace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was next to her, avoiding magical blasts like it was rehearsed choreography and slashing and stocking soldiers with the sword on her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it was a decoration for the recruitment post,” Willow said, looking at Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other girl smiled nervously. “She did mention she knew how to use it once…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is beautiful…” Willow heard Klaris and cringed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Another cheesy pair?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought and groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move aside you, stupid white robes!” Eda shouted, “My kid is up there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow watched them and then the rest of the soldiers, they couldn’t fight them all, and there was no way to keep them away long enough-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…Unless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I have an idea,” she said, looking at Klaris, King, and Gus. “You think you can make a path for Eda and Lilith to come up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want us to make a path between all those soldiers?!” Gus shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you do it or not?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Klaris looked down and then sighed. “I think!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then please do it!” Willow said and turned to Amity. “Can I count on you to keep them ad bay for ten seconds?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity gaped at her and groaned, making a new spell circle, her abomination appearing in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just ten!” the girl shouted and Willow smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and sent her power through the gantlet, hitting the ground with it and imagining the form she needed the most.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the crash of stone, the flames, the screams, and the shouts of order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she blocked them out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had always had powerful magic, apparently. She got mad and just started to create dangerous plants, she still remembered it, how she had reacted when first meeting Luz... when she had seen Amity and Luz together... when she had hurt Gus…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time for that damn magic to work with her for once!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Grow strong, and hard… don’t let yourself be frozen or burned, please!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Willow thought, forcing all her magic through the relic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow! Those are ten!” Amity shouted and she opened her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda and Lilith passed net to her, and she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Grow, now!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her thought started the reaction she wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gantlet pushed her away, the relic growing and an amazing speed, making its way through the stone and the rubble, making a net and then a wall that collapsed the ceiling, just for the roots to break through the falling debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willow!” she heard someone scream and two sets of arms held her by the armpits, pulling her up and back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back, finding Amity and Eda running outside the staircase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could have warned us, dumbass!” Eda shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz is getting to you! You are supposed to have the brain, aren’t you?!” Amity followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They threw her out the corridor and she landed on the yard terrain, both of them jumped after her and managed to escape the collapsing ceiling, Willow stared at them before she dared a look to where the stairs used to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just to find a wall of roots in its place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gaped and a gasp escaped her lips. “Wow…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow stared at the former staircase. The plants that had come from the gantlet were still moving, trying to get a better grip on the stone, the wall becoming denser and denser by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did great, dweebus,” Eda said while patting on the back and Willow smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While this is nice and all… Luz is still fighting!” King said and ran back to the yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willow groaned and stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She might have blocked the passage for a while more, and the group might be finally completed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the fight was still far from over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz dived under the new wave of magic Belos sent towards her and snapped her fingers, making a pillar of flame burst up from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was feeling hot, her head dizzy and her movements were beginning to slack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was holding ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just a bit more!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought, spinning midair and dropping glyph in all directions before blasting a rain of ice lances towards Belos. The man rose his staff and the ground along with it, blocking her attack, Luz felt the pulled of magic from within her and clenched her jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pressure was too much, damn it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” She heard and turned down, Willow, Gus, and Amity were barely holding themselves behind one of the huge torches, she turned towards Belos and snapped her fingers, all the glyphs she had dropped before started to shine and began an attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped on the ground next to her friends, and took sharp breaths, looking at Owlbert and the state of the staff, all was—somehow—still holding together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you OK?” Gus asked, holding her shoulder. “You look like you are about to throw up your lungs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled. “You try fighting the most powerful witch ever and look good while on it,” she said and closed her eyes, her free hand holding her chest and taking deep breaths. “…Anime made the sudden power-ups look easy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to ask what those are… now,” Willow said and looked over the side of the torch. “How are you still attacking Belos?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Luz said and swallowed her pain, she’d have to take care later. “I just left the glyphs to activate at different times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was trying a lot, to be honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity held her hand and Luz looked at her while smiling, the teal hair witch didn’t return the gesture, the worrisome look on her eyes heartbreaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure you can keep this up?” Amity asked, biting her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes before she stood up. “I have to… I mean, I’m pretty much at my limit, he must be worse than me, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other didn’t reply at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow… great encouraging guys.” Luz sighed and looked at Owlbert. “Ready for next round?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little owl nodded and Luz mounted again, she guessed Belos would’ve already finished with her little trick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was lying, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at Amity, and then closed her eyes for a second, the image of Eda, Lilith, Willow and Gus came to mind, Klaris also appeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were safe, they could run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that would mean fighting Belos for the rest of their lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz had fought her entire life to find a place where she belonged, she always had, she had been running, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>so long</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she thought that she had finally found the place where she was supposed to be, she had finally found her </span>
  <em>
    <span>home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No… she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>she found it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She won’t go away, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> go away. Doing so would mean leaving Belos to think she feared him, leaving at that time would show him that she wasn’t ready, that she wasn’t prepared to fight to her fullest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she wasn’t, but Luz didn’t have a choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to fight, to face that man; that </span>
  <em>
    <span>liar </span>
  </em>
  <span>and manipulative bastard that had played with her feelings. That had made her feel like she didn’t belong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz </span>
  <em>
    <span>belonged! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The isles were her home, Eda was her family! And she wasn’t going to let that stupid piece of bully tell her she wasn’t part of it. That she wasn’t supposed to be there! Luz was going to stand her ground!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz wasn’t running anymore,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took flight again and looked at Belos, the man was using a barrier to block all her attacks, but contrary to before, he was hunching a little, and Luz could swear—even when she was that damn far away—that his staff was shaking on his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a bit more!” she said and raised her hand, “Let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dove into the chaos of ice, flames, and plants, crashing against Belos barrier, the man glared at her, but Luz smiled in return, raising her hand and running her magic through the necklace, in front of her finger the spell circle took form and the fire glyph inside it, then a fireball formed itself and she smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boom,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was an explosion, she flew backward and looked at her hand, her fingertips were burned.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“OK, maybe not the best idea.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought and looked ahead, Belos was still standing… but his barrier was down, and his cape had caught cinders. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But effective.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gave you all that power!” He shouted and rose his hand, the rubble around him shifted and began to grown, connect and change its color. “I’ll be taking it back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz took out her glyphs and repressed a gag when she saw the giant worm-like monster Belos had created jump towards her, she overleaped the plant and ice glyph and recited the incantation as fast as she could flying upwards and dropping the glyphs on the monster mouth before she stopped Owlbert’s wings and dropped in a free fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The worm monster passed next to her and turned around to face her but didn’t move more than that, the frozen thorns came out from multiple spots on its body until it got torn apart from the inside, Luz’s spell continued to grow and crashed against the ground over Belos, the man had transported to another spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz smiled when she saw him fall to one knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost the-!” she said and bit her tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A new pain rushed through her chest and almost made her let of the staff, she managed to hold her grip—rather miraculously—and Owlbert opened his wings, saving her from a crash against the ground. However, Luz couldn’t maintain her balance and fell from the staff mid-fly, she rolled on the ground and stooped on the edge of the already destroyed yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are just a stupid kid!” Belos shouted and Luz looked up, he was barely standing, his weight on his staff for what she saw. “You could have it all! I gave you power, a purpose, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>destiny! </span>
  </em>
  <span>And you reject all that for, what? Family, friends, </span>
  <em>
    <span>love?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz chuckled and stood up. “Ye-Yeah… pretty much,” she said and got a last batch of glyphs from her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are just a stupid child! Give me back my power!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…You don’t get it,” Luz said and giggled, “you’ll never have the powers I have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll never get them,” Luz said, calmly, “and it’s actually simple why you can’t have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos didn’t say anything, he rose his staff and blasted a mass of fire towards her, Luz rose her empty hand and a new spell circle appeared in front of it, the ice glyph flashing before the spell circle became an ice shield. Both spells vanished in a steam cloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll never get the power I have,” Luz said and smiled, running magic through her glyphs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had only fire and light left, she better make it shine!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the emperor!” Belos screamed and raised his staff, the red crystal ball shone and dark lightning started to come out of it, the energy building up. “I’ll attain all the power I need to fulfill my purpose!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and rose her glyphs, the incantation coming to her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why you failed,” Luz said and her voice somehow seemed… distant. “Because you believe that power is something you can take from others… something you can steal or consume…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz ran power through her necklace and threw the glyphs, her chest was killing her, she felt like something in her was about to break in any second. But she kept her head high and her eyes sharp on Belos, both of them were already on their limits, both of them on their last spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are wrong…” Luz continued, the glyphs she had dropped rose and started to move in a circle in front of her hands. “Power… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Magic</span>
  </em>
  <span> is not something you can take… it’s not something you can control!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense!” Belos screamed, “Magic is dangerous and savage! The Titan entrusted me the future! The Titan gave the mission to guide the people so they won’t ever break themselves with magic like-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did… like I almost did,” Luz said and smiled, “but that’s wrong, Belos… because magic shouldn’t be controlled, there shouldn’t be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>proper </span>
  </em>
  <span>way! Magic is wild and mysterious, and fantastical, and… and… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magic is a hazard! A power to fear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magic is an expression! A statement!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dangerous!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magnificent!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Insatiable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Endless risks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Infinite possibilities!” Luz laughed, “Magic, power… none of those can be taken from people, the real magic, the real power comes when we work together!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked to the side, and caught the image of Lilith and Eda, Klaris and King, Willow, Gus, and Amity!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the pain in her chest became bigger, stronger!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magic is imagination, determination, conviction, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>connections!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz shouted and the glyphs in front of her burned; become a massive spell circle, the light glyphs shone inside of it and got overleaped with the fire glyph. “Someone who rejects all of that will never reach real magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know anything! I carry weight too big, too heavy, too important!” Belos said and his spell manifested a massive sphere of black lightning. “I’m meant to carry this weight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…But you were never meant to do it alone,” Luz replied and her eyes softened against her will. “That was your choice… </span>
  <em>
    <span>your mistake, </span>
  </em>
  <span>just like all those years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz closed her eyes and felt the magic pulling her apart from inside her soul, her heart-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was now or never!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Echoes of the sunset and screams of the midday, become one with the voices of dawn, and bloom and a light that would guide me, and never leave me alone… and that will become my path to where the horizon breaks and where I reach the echoes of my song…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened her eyes and the glyphs of light started to spin, the spell circle closed, consuming itself and Luz felt the familiar pull of magic from inside, the claws of her own magic mixing with the isles’, her chest almost being opened with the energy that was inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the mass of magic in front of her flapped its wings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Go.” she finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a sound, but it wasn’t a screech like all the other times, no… it was… different, harmonious and it echoed through her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like a song.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Belos throw his magic, she saw how her spell, that fire owl that shined like the sun took fly towards it and, instead of crashing against the other spell, it took it and flew higher, burning the magic Belos had gathered and then dived towards the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impossible…” she heard Belos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know?” Luz said and smiled, her chest finally stopping to hurt, “from where I’m from… a witch doesn’t believe in the word ‘impossible’…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her and Luz lost her strength at the same time the spell made contact with the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity shouted and ran ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard Willow’s and Gus’ screams, but she didn’t care, she sprinted and caught the auburn-haired witch before she could it the ground. The impact of her spell hadn’t created an explosion, but a fire pillar so massive and bright that Amity was sure people in Glandus had seen it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz! Luz!” she cried and held the girl’s cheek, Luz’s hair was… was it a bit brighter? “Luz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-Don’t scream…” the girl said and Amity left out a sigh in relief, “goddess, that was horrible…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t scare me like that!” Amity shouted and Luz groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you please don’t shout… I mean I like your voice, but my head is killing me…” Luz replied and opened her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity was taken back by how Luz’s eyes were shining in orange light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your eyes?” Amity whispered and Luz blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The glow disappeared, but her eyes weren’t red nor brown anymore, but a honey color had taken that place instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with my eyes?” Luz whispered and moved her arm, dropping it immediately, “huh… this hurts!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity started and couldn’t repress the laugh that came out of her lips. “Only you can fight like that  and expect everything to be fine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made the spell circle and began to treat Luz wounds, the superficial ones at least, she looked around and tried to understand how they even </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But she couldn’t even begin to formulate a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is just so…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She looked at the girl in her arms and smiled softly. “…Luz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Luz replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Thanks,” she whispered, leaning and placing her forehead against Luz’s, “thanks for coming back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked a few times and smiled. “I did promise…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you promised to not get in problems with the law.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just clicked your tongue on me?” Luz asked, amused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity chuckled and pulled away, looking to the side, she caught sight of Willow and Gus helping Eda and Lilith to stand straight, and she even saw King running around, looking for something between and under the debris of the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You…” Amity heard and tensed Luz in her arms also did. “You little, ungrateful girl…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity felt Luz move in her and she saw the stern look in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz pulled herself up and between Amity and where the voice had come from. Amity saw how from between the cloud of ash and cinder a figure limped out, covered in soot and with burned down clothes, the mask that had haunted her had broken, multiple shards falling from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He…” she heard Luz say, “I really thought I could take you out after all that magic you spent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked up, his eyes shone from the dark pools his mask had, and Amity bit back a shriek at how the blue eyes were moving almost psychotically in those.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take back… the power…” he said, raising his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This power was never yours,” Luz said and rose her hand, flinching and falling forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” Amity said and caught her. “Are you alright?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head, her hand going to her chest. “I…I don’t think I can make magic…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity swallowed up and looked ahead. The debris that blocked the entrance behind Belos moved and she felt like crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The troops will be here any second…” she whispered and looked to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That woman—Klaris—had covered the others in her magic, surely, or that’s what Amity thought when she didn’t see them. She tensed and looked at the sweaty, drained, and shivering Luz in her arms fighting to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was alone in that!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me back… my strength…” Belos whispered and Amity cringed, looking to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she saw the cracks, the little stones rolling to the edge of the falling training ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a stupid idea, really stupid!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the alternative was a really crazy man with huge amounts of magic-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll always catch you,” Luz whispered and Amity looked at her, Luz was smiling, “I know what you’re thinking,” she said and smirked, “I’ll figure something out, do what you must.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity looked at Luz’s eyes and then to the front, Belos rose his staff—cracked staff, Luz had gone crazy!—towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Curse it, Titan,” Amity whispered and made a spell circle. “You better catch me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled. “Always.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…and blasted her fire spell against the ground, the terrain giving up and leaving Luz and Amity herself falling to the void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda was already on edge when she saw Luz little—immense—last trick, she was worse when Amity rushed towards her, and she was even </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse </span>
  </em>
  <span>when Klaris covered them in that spell to hide them when they all heard Belos voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gotta help them!” she said and tried to move, but Lilith held her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you planning to do Edalyn?” her sister hissed, “We are out of magic, potions, and weapons!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Luz-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll help her, but we need to be smart about this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Belos is there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll go,” Willow said and Eda looked at the kid, “we have some magic left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll bring Luz back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, I don’t think you’ll be able to pull that one off,” King said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” the two kids asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>King pointed ahead before saying: “Because none of you can fly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the ground gave in under their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda reached out for King and hugged the stupid fur ball close to her chest before extending her hand to Lilith. Her sister took it and took Gus’s arm. Klaris took Willow with one arm and Gus with the over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got this!” Willow said and made a spell circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A root grew from the wall and Eda hit it hard, but it was better than meeting the ground, she guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The root made them roll until they fell in a flower, the thing bent and its stem snapped, dropping them again. The next time Eda felt the hit she was sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>snapped inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was alive, that was a win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up, and saw Luz and Amity, the Blight kid had managed to hold from a root while Luz herself was clinging to a piece of debris that was still attached to the training grounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would that bastard build a training area so damn high?!” Eda shouted and tried to move, but her legs gave in. “Damn it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was next to her almost immediately and helped her to stand up, she nodded to her sister and looked ahead again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to help them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith nodded and raised her hand. “I’ll call my staff-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look!” Gus shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Eda felt her heart dropping to hell when the wall the two teens gave in, dropping both kids down in the middle of a rain of debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she shouted and moved ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda looked back at Lilith, but her sister was equally distressed her staff nowhere in sight! Eda watched towards the teens again and saw them fall over the edge of the abyss that surrounded Belos castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Luz, Luz!” she screamed and ran to the edge, not jumping only because Klaris and Willow held her back. “Let me go! I gotta save them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, it’s a suicide!” Klaris said, “The guards are coming, too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” Willow screamed and the pain in her voice was so deep that it shook her. “You’ll die if you jump like that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t care!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Luz!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought, biting her lip until it bled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could jump, she could dived after them and maybe catch them and take the hit herself or-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s voice came like a shockwave. “Owlbert!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda felt something within her being pulled and then her staff flew from her hand. She saw in awe how it flew at top speed downwards, avoiding the falling debris and accelerating until-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woo-hoo! Yeah, baby!” she heard and saw Luz taking fly with Amity in her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She… did the kid just call my staff…?” she asked and looked back at her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith was gaping. “Yes, yes she did…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I’m sure this is an amazing moment and all,” Klaris said, “I think we should leave, my magic it’s almost out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go!” Eda heard Willow say and felt how someone pulled her by the arm, away from the castle and into the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All while she saw Luz fly higher and higher, just to disappear in the clouds.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She is really meant to shine brighter than anyone.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eda thought and shook her head, following the group into the shadows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>........................................................................................................................................</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That damned kid!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos hit the wall of his throne room and bit back his scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had invested all those fucking years into nothingness! Into a fluke! All the time, his portal to the human realm, his blood, and the materials to make the medal!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of it, all for nothing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to erase her from this </span>
  <em>
    <span>universe,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said, his eyes hurt, and the images of Luz came back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess image fluctuated inside of him, it was painful… all the rage… all the hatred… all the emotions the fusion was supposed to erase were on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a mass of power… he was supposed to have power she was wielding!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was the chosen one! He was the Emperor, the Empress, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>ruler!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He closed a hand over his crippled mask and groaned, the pain inside him was horrible, Princess was trying to take control over </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>body! He was going to be consumed at that rate! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And no Palisman had been able to help him after he returned to his chambers! His magic was running havoc, he was losing control, he… he-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to make her pay…” he whispered, not sure if it was Princess or him, but she said it, and then he glared to the ground, “I’m going to break that little rascal, that little piece of mincemeat and waste of magic-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Enough.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos tensed and looked up. “…Ti…Ti-Titan…?” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pressure, the pain… all of it was being drowned...</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You have a mission.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that kid-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You serve a higher purpose.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“But the Clawthorne-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You have a </b>
  <b>
    <em>destiny.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they need to pay!” Princess shouted from inside of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she was held down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos felt something inside him pierce through his chest and he coughed, his mask falling to the ground and shattering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A horrible noise reached his ears, and his throat </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Was he screaming?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned down and covered his face with his hands, his screams becoming worse and worse until he could stand the pain in his throat, he moved one hand down and started to strangle himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought desperately. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Shut up! I’ll make them pay!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>They are inconsequential.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind fought back that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“But they humiliated me! They tampered with the Titan’s plans!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>They are inconsequential.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“They-!” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And something inside his mind snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Princess went quiet, the magic that was under her control became… </span>
  <em>
    <span>limp</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it stopped… it </span>
  <em>
    <span>died...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The image of Luz, Eda, Lilith, Amity, Willow, Gus, and King vanished all the rage, all the humiliation, and pain along with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And instead, he saw the portal Eda had destroyed in front of Kikimora… and its pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You have a mission.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… have a mission…” he repeated, and the pieces in his mind moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You have a role.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… have role…” he whispered and lowered his hand, looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You have a destiny.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos moved his hand and a new mask appeared in it. “I have a destiny…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>They are inconsequential.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos put his mask on and lowered his head, taking a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was back in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege!” a voice came from outside the throne room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos turned around. “Come on in, Kikimora.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors opened and the little demon limped inside, she kneeled in front of him when she reached the adequate distance, Belos looked at her, beaten up and humiliated, pathetic and aimless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had he looked like that? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pathetic.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“My liege, we have troops to after the fugitives!” Kikimora said, and raised her head, “just give us your orders!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked at her and sighed, turning around. “Do not take action.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-? Pardon me, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t take action, Kiki,” he repeated and moved to his throne, “I’ll send someone to keep an eye on the house later on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-But,” Kikimora said, “My liege-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at her over his shoulder and Kikimora stopped, falling back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have more urgent matters, Kikimora,” he said and took a seat on his throne, “the ‘Owl Lady’ and her sister had lost her magic, the rest of that group are simple kids, granted, one more special than others, but kids, none the less.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked ahead and closed his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are inconsequential,” he said and leaned back, “the Titan’s will; its plan is still in motion. So we need to fix that portal, that’s what matters now. I grant them a pardon, in the Titan’s merciful nature and will!” He said and looked down on the demon. “Make sure it’s public ASAP.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-My liege… shouldn’t I at least make them enemies of the coven?” Kikimora </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisted.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What for?” Belos said and looked at Kikimora. “They can’t do anything now, can they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little demon stared at him before she nodded slowly and turned around, leaving the throne room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belos looked up and accommodated himself, it had been a close call, a really close one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What were some years? What was a stupid medal? What was a portal when he had managed to get another one?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” he whispered, “I’m still part of something bigger than myself…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was still part of the Titan’s plan; he was just a messenger for its will, to make its guidance a truth! The plant was still on movement, it was closer than ever!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so was his destiny…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Let us play along, Titan…” he whispered, closing his eyes. “I live only to turn your voice.. to make your will come true...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>........................................................................................................................................</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe it worked!” Luz shouted, spinning in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had managed to call Eda’s staff from a far distance! She had called Owlbert like a proper witch would do! She even got a glyph to prove it!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was a witch! She was-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, watch out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-She was about to crash against a tree!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” she shouted and avoided the crash, looking ahead. “I got a bit excited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No joke!” Amity said and sighed. “Can’t you keep it cool while you are flying me around?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m either excited about flying at all or nervous of having you in my arms, pick one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity stared at her. “How did you pull off such a smooth line?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed and Amity followed suit pretty fast, they stayed silent after it and Luz looked down. The ‘Boiling Isles’ were quiet and still vibrating in harmony, just like before it all happened, just like that time Eda had shown them to her all those weeks ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look pretty,” Amity commented, and Luz blushed, “wow, that was all I needed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Luz replied, “why do you say so, anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just thought about it,” she replied, “the Emperor’s clothes don’t suit you though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah? I thought I could pull it off, minus the cape, obviously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity leaned closer to her. “Yeah, I think a blue-ish purple would suit you better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think so, too, I’m done with white schemes!” She said and looked down at Amity, “you look nice with my jacket, thou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and looked at herself. “Maybe, but I really don’t like these shorts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I prefer my clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you using mine then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last minute measures.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her before she turned to the front. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m asking Willow.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you?” Amity asked then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Fine enough, I don’t feel like my chest is going to get open any second now,” she said and looked down. “You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed and looked down, her left leg was bleeding a bit. “I’m just happy I still had enough magic to close the cut… I couldn’t do anything about the hit, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That boulder was a surprise,” Luz commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded and looked ahead. “I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this to my parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blame the twins?” Luz offered and Amity laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, are you really-?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, Amity!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s question would have to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down; Gus and Eda, along with Lilith and Willow were smiling and waving at them from the ground in a little clear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think they demand an entrance, don’t you think?” Amity said and hugged her a bit tighter. “You think you can stick the landing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and nodded. “We are about to find out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really tried</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get down slowly and smoothly. But Owlbert apparently wasn’t going to give her that much control, so they spiraled down and stopped their fall just a few inches from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez, thanks…” Luz whispered, getting down the staff and helping Amity to stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz!” she heard again and turned towards the group of people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first one to crush her in a hug was Eda, her arms surrounding her with a crushing force that made Luz feel so </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe </span>
  </em>
  <span>and warm. She returned the hug with all her strength and separated only when her lungs decided that Eda’s asphyxiating hug was a bit too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, don’t ever scare us like that!” Willow and shouted, hugging her from the sides.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry!” she said, laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a tug on her leg and looked down; King was glaring at her with tears in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> leave me behind like that!” He shouted and jumped at her, hugging her. “I was so worried!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled and hugged him back. “I’m sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucelyn…” Lilith said slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at her and left king on the ground before tackling the oldest Clawthorne with a hug. She rubbed herself on Lilith’s dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy you’re OK,” she whispered and heard Lilith gasp lowly before her arms were around her. “What happened to Klaris?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith sighed and giggled. “She helped us enough, so I sent her home,” he replied, “I don’t want her more involved than what she already is… even when she jumped into the whole castle problem when I told her not to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like you found someone special, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…I guess I did,” Lilith said and pulled away, “I think </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone</span>
  </em>
  <span> wants a word with you, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz blinked and turned around, Eda was smiling at her and her hands were closed tightly around her staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is possible that Owlbert obeyed you?” the woman asked, “I’d understand it if I sent him to you, but he reacted when </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> called him, that doesn’t make any sense! Nor in that huge distance! Not after using all that magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared and wanted to scream, she really didn’t get it?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, that’s because-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what’s with that thing Belos said about me being a nuisance on his plan again?!” She continued, “He talked about years ago, and other stuff, and... and my head was just about to explode with every word and-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda!” Luz screamed, “It’s because Belos lied to us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda… how can you </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>get it?” she asked, walking closer, “Belos lied; he tricked us so he could try to possess me! But he was never honest on what he knew until I, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>fought him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t get it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda… Belos played with your mind once, and he did it again, I know he did,” Luz got closer and looked inside her side bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so glad Amity had taken that to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved aside the little number of cards she had left and pulled out something smaller and folded. She straightened the sheet and smiled at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, Belos did many things, but he could never undo </span>
  <em>
    <span>this,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Luz said and handed the paper to Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman looked at her, and then at the paper, gaping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What… how?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled, looking at the thing in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the photo she had showed, the one with just silhouettes… but-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was completed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the photo was Camilla in a white and clear blue suit while a younger Eda stood next to her in a red and black dress, both of them had rings in her fingers, and were surrounded by a rain of roses, behind them was a sign with big stylish letters:</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Congratulations Miss. and Miss. Clawthorne Noceda”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda moved her lips as if to say something, but the words didn’t come out of her.</span>
</p><p><span>“This was your </span><em><span>wedding?</span></em><span>”</span> <span>Lilith said, looking over Eda’s shoulder, “Why wasn’t I there?!”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Probably because of the cursed thing?” King commented and Lilith glared at him. “What? Eda said you did it, why wouldn’t you be there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is this possible?” Eda asked, ignoring the growing discussion between her sister and the little demon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled. “Well, I’m guessing that one time, when Owlbert was collecting stuff, my mom came by, just like I did,” she said and took the picture. “She must have to take this picture out of memories and when Belos attacked you... it was the only thing she could hold on to, to remember you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz hugged the picture and thought about how Camilla had managed to get it all so right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had had someone who loved her, and she had been right about that someone loving her just as much as she did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My </span>
  <em>
    <span>mami </span>
  </em>
  <span>was sure I’d meet you someday,” Luz whispered and looked up at Eda, “even when I wasn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda shook her head. “I still don’t understand…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz groaned and put the picture away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda how is that you don’t get it?!” She shouted, holding the woman’s hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get what?!” the woman replied. “Luz this is just so confusing, is nonsense!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not! Eda, Belos is not my dad!” Luz said, smiling. “He can’t be! He said he wasn’t! Our magic is different! He thought he could be my dad because I had phis blood but I don’t!” Her smile grew bigger. “I couldn’t do what he can because we are not related… but I could reach </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you lost it within the curse and I was trapped in my own heart, I could use Owlbert and your staff to project my magic, I also got a new glyph by just holding it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She showed Eda the shining glyph in her necklace, the small owl form shinning strongly from the topaz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eda, my magic is in resonance with yours… </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>am in resonance with </span>
  <em>
    <span>you!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda’s eyes went wide at that, her face changing slowly as the realization began to sink in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D…D-Does that mean…?” Eda said, trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded, hugging her again, harder this time. “Eda… </span>
  <em>
    <span>you are my mom.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>If anything was bound to happen when Luz said those words. It was Eda hugging her back with desperation, burying her face in Luz’s hair, and laughing </span>
  <em>
    <span>so hard</span>
  </em>
  <span> while tears rolled down her face. Lilith’s soft gasp and Amity’s little cry came as background sound along with Gus and Willow’s cheers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I can’t believe it…” Eda whispered, “I’m your mom… you are my daughter… for real, you are…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughs too, her grip getting tighter. “I knew you put with me for a reason…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz, I put up with you because I love you,” Eda said, separating from her, “it doesn’t matter if you are my daughter or not, I love you and you getting in my life… back into my life, is the best thing that ever happened to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz stared and giggled, rubbing the tears away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure my mom was the one who got de-petrified?” Luz shook her head. “Because Edalyn Clawthorne; she would never be so cheesy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And don’t expect me to be more than this for a while, this is sickening,” Eda said, “‘Sides, is going to take a while before I can get used to not using magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry much about it,” Luz said, taking out one of her cards, “I’ll teach you what I know, and what we don’t know, we can learn it together. The most powerful witch in the ‘Boiling Isles’ is going to stand and shine once again, I can promise that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda stared down at her with a smiled before taping the glyph in the card Luz gave her. The spell gained life just a second after, the little ball of light floating to the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Luz… I look forward to that,” Eda said, smiling, “but what about Camila? You may never be able to see her again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and she knew her face became serious. “When all this started I thought… I thought I wouldn’t want to see her, but now, now that I know how much she loves me… how much she loved </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and now that I can’t imagine how alone she feels…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head, and held her necklace, the gemstone shined with all the glyphs flashing from within it before transforming into that little light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That little piece of her soul…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I have to find a way back…” Luz said, “I need to tell her that I’m sorry, for everything… that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>my mom, too, and that I love her, no matter what I’ve said. I’m not letting our last real conversation be a fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt Eda’s hands on her shoulders. “Then I’ll help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I mean, I liked the woman enough to have a kid with her, I want to meet her… again.” Eda laughed, “So count me in your little mission, Kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m also going!” King prompted, “The Emperor will pay for hurting my family!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at him. “I’m sure he is trembling with your threat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll also help,” Lilith said, getting in the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lily? Why?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m curious of who could have made you stop thinking kids were bad,” the woman said, smiling, “besides, I found out I have a niece, for real this time! And no a kid you took in, but someone who has my blood! Not like it was important, to begin with, but now I’m concerned if she’d end up like you in a few more years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awesome and a heartbreaker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reckless and shameless, she has a girl right over there, Edalyn,” Lilith said and pointed at Amity before crossing her arms. “And besides, I’m not becoming some kind of aunt like great grand-aunt Grossella.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, you give me nightmares with that name…” Eda shivered and then smiled at Lilith. “I… I’m happy we are on the same side, sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lilith smiles and hugs Eda. “We always were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can join too, right?” Gus asked, closing the distance with Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want in? We are going to be breaking a lot of rules,” Luz said crossing her arms, “are you prepared for some real, half-human adventures all over the ‘Boiling Isles’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you better bet your necklace </span>
  <em>
    <span>I do! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Me, my illusions and flags are at your command!” Gus said, showing the flags at that moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had that with you all the time?” King asked tonelessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m also going,” Willow said, smiling at her, “there’s no way I’m letting my best friend go to an almost suicidal adventure without me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys!” Luz said, hugging them. “Don’t know what I’ll do without you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Die,” Gus offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or be imprisoned,” Willow added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz let go of both of them. “Shucks you two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While her friends laughed and got into a discussion with King, Luz turned to face Amity barely standing with her good leg. She moved towards her and held her by the hips. Amity face twisted in a grin at the relief, maybe because of not having to place so much weight on her injured limb, or maybe because Luz had gone to hold her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What did it matter?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Luz whispered, “you saved me back there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You would’ve done the same, even more, for me,” Amity said back, “I see you already decided on your next step.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you know me, I just got out of a fight with the most powerful witch alive and I’m already planning a raid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just your normal Sunday, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both giggled at that, and Luz stared into Amity’s eyes. The other girl blushed and tried to look away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But being just inches apart made it a little of a challenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Amity,” Luz said then, “for everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…What are you saying? I didn’t do anything special.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You believed in me,” Luz began, “you fought the Emperor for me, you risked your whole future for me, and while Willow and Gus did it… you guys didn’t have to and did it anyway...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You rushed to hold me, even when it could’ve been the end of you…” Luz whispered, “you went for me when all the others didn’t move when Eda couldn’t reach out for me… you did… you are always saving me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt Amity’s arms tightening her grip on her. “You are my…” she stopped and closed her mouth, like considering something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Friend?” Luz suggested. “We are at least friends, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Amity said, “no, I mean yes! But-! Yes, Luz, we are friends, we are more than that, I mean, we have dates and I’ve been this close to actually saying something to you, but it was never the right time and there was this time during Grom when I was about to try and… Ugh! Luz what made me help you was that you are this… this super mega cute and kind person that I’m so glad is in my life…! But…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…But?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…Luz,” Amity said, raising her hand to Luz’s face, “you are one of the best friends I’ve ever had… but for me…for me is </span>
  <em>
    <span>much more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than just that, more than what other people think, OK?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz’s eyes went wide when she caught Amity looking at her lips. Could it…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are precious to me, Luz… really precious…” Amity took a couple of breaths. “What I’m trying to say, is, Luz I like… </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> like you, and I want us to be-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t let her finish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz leaned in, </span>
  <em>
    <span>kissing</span>
  </em>
  <span> Amity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz reacted maybe a bit too late, separating from the other witch. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh por dios, lo siento, lo siento tanto </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amity… I, I thought you were done and we were having that kind of moment, the fanfiction always made it feel like it would be like that and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t continue her blurting; her mouth was covered by Amity’s this time. She tried to talk but melted into the kiss after just one second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Titan, you are so impulsive…” Amity sighed when they pulled apart, “but I guess that’s part of what makes me like you so much!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz gaped, her mouth slowly twisting into a smile. “Amity I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She finally asked it?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz startles and looks back, finding Willow and Gus cheering while King is on the ground crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Luz, you had to be the one to say it first!” The little demon cried out. “I won’t pay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You own us fifty snails each little fur-ball!” Gus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you are paying one way or another!” Willow added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity groaned, recapturing Luz’s attention. “They bet on this? Ugh, I’m starting to reconsider my choice of friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you are not,” Luz said with a little laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…No, I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why I like you so much,” Luz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of my melodrama?” Amity joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz shook her head, placing her forehead on Amity’s. “Because you make me happy, even with the simplest things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two love birds are making a scene out here!” Eda screamed, making gag sounds. “Let’s go home and at last eat something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you are not cooking, Edalyn,” Lilith commented, “I can still taste your dreadful eggs and spider-snake bacon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Well, I can taste your sad excuse of porridge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think they’ll let us order pizza?” Gus asked, following the women with Willow and King.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I shall have pepperoni!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed, hard, before turning to the sky, stars already out and shining, making the scene so… incredible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who would have thought that she would be there after escaping home one day? She sure wouldn’t have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You OK, Luz?” Amity asked, placing her hands on her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz smiled at her. “Yeah…Yeah! Just thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“’Bout what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz thought about it all. Escaping home into the woods, getting to the ‘Boiling Isles’, finding Eda, getting to know Willow, then Gus, then learning about curses, getting to know Amity, facing the Emperor, becoming a sort of criminal, getting into Hexside, raiding a castle, getting a girlfriend—even if they haven’t yet talked about it—and, being a princess by name for two days before really discovering her roots and saving her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span> from being petrified forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, all…” She said, giggling, “I guess… I’m just thinking ‘bout the hella time Imma gonna have telling my mom all this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz then moved; she bent a little to get her hand behind Amity’s knees. Next second she had Amity in her arms in bridal style.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now let’s go home before they decide we don’t get a say on the food, shall we?” Luz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, passing her arms around Luz’s neck. “We shall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz started to run, getting a scream out of Amity. And she saw the rest of the group waiting for them in front of the ‘Owl House’ while discussing with Hooty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going back to the ‘Owl House’, with her family, founded </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>real, she found a place that she could just... go back to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was going home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>THE END.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>FOR NOW…?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>..</b>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>..</b>
</p><p>
  <b>...</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>From a daughter to a mother…</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla sighed, leaning on the bus window and looking at the streets changing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long had it been since she started to fear going back home?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably a long time ago…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and waited, her stop was close, she knew that much, but she didn’t really care, there was nothing back home except a bed and some food, and she could afford each in another place at any time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t feel like going back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got down on stop before hers and looked around, the deli where she used to have snacks, the store where she had bought her manga, and even the little park where she used to walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every place was just so hard to deal with now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So many memories…” she sighed and started to walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When had life become something so grey?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She passed next to an ice cream truck, watching a small child with her parents, and bit her lip to fight the tears that almost formed in her eyes. She was an adult, not a crybaby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though she felt like crying all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and continued walking, but every place was a bank of memories. Memories she treasured but hurt so bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got to her house with the heart on her fist and the guilt making its way up to her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did she try to send Luz away, again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened the door and turned the lights on, the house was empty, just like it had been the last two months. Camilla didn’t fight the tear that rolled down her cheek at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had posted all the information, but nobody had called her back, nobody had any clue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was gone, and she didn’t know where.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla knew she didn’t have any money, she knew that Luz could probably make some, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her kid wasn’t a scammer, her heart was too good for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she had probably run into the woods and reached who knows where…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All because she had made a mistake, all because she had tried to… tried to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so stupid…” she sighed and looked to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No ‘missing person’ poster would change that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her phone out, and scrolled through her contacts again, the number she saw was always the same on top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her parents…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she hadn’t listened to them, Luz would still be with her, she could try to understand her daughter, she could try and connect with her just like she had tried all her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she hadn’t tried to change her then-!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“…‘What if’s’ are excuses…” she sighed and covered her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And her phone buzzed. She blinked and looked at it; it probably was another resident asking for help or a friend that would try to cheer her, maybe her boss telling her about a double shift.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a message from Luz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla stared at it, fear creeping into her mind at the same time as hope, her heart beating faster, and it pained her, it really did, how the prospect was bringing down everything she had managed to pull up that time since she left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mija…</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she whispered and opened the message.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t have any words, just a photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Luz, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the real her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked even better than Caila would’ve expected… she looked so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was… different, </span>
  <em>
    <span>brighter.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz was so bright but it was her, it was her kid, but her hair was clearer, cooper locks in her brunette head and her eyes weren’t reddish anymore, not even the orange she thought before, but a lovely honey mixture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she wasn’t alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a little thing that seemed like a dog with a skull on its head, a kid with pointy ears too, along with a cute girl with dark green hair and glasses, and another one, teal and brown that was hugging her daughter, behind them she saw a woman with a long blue hair and a dark blue dress, a silver strand on the side of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was that woman who was hugging Luz from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked awfully familiar, with silver hair and a foxy air to her, one of her eyes on an orange shade while the other one was a grey mixture, she smiled with happiness that Camilla could only envy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Luz had her arm was around that teal-haired girl next to her, and she was holding something in her hand, a note.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Encontré mi hogar.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Solo falta que tú estés aquí.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla stared at the photo, at the smiles and all the faces, and she giggled before she started to laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was with that photo?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned on the closed door and stared at her phone for far too long, her smile growing softer and softer as she studied the details of the picture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you are OK?” She whispered turning to the side and looking at the photo she had on the table next to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz and Camila, when they moved to the house, just the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla looked at that one for a while before she moved to stand in front of it, placing her phone next to the frame smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s enough for me…” she whispered, walking further inside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both photos, next to each other… both parts of Luz finally on sight, as they should always have been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think that it worked?” Eda asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz looked at the screen of her phone, the selfie she had taken was on it, in her mother’s chat and the image had a little mark under it that read ‘sent’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think so…” Luz replied and looked at Eda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eda smiled at her and patted her in the head. “Then it’s all good, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded and looked at the rest of the people eating in the living room, and she put the phone away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said, hugging Eda. “It’s all good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ad so it ends.<br/>As I said, I don't have many words.<br/>Just... thanks for reading!<br/>I really loved working on this story, since it's been in my mind, and being the first one to do the 'Half-a-witch' Luz thing is also thrilling.<br/>But even it's the end for this story, it doesn't mean we are already done.</p><p>yeah, because I've come with:</p><p>                                                 Diary of a lost witch RE: </p><p>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p><p> </p><p>This will the same story, yeah, but for those who wish the re-read, I've prepared the next version of the story.</p><p>But why would I do so?</p><p>Here are your answers!<br/>Diary of a lost witch Re will have the following:</p><p>1.- Songs will be added to the first part<br/>2.- Each and every chapter will undergo a correction stage<br/>3.- every chapter will have a chance (this will not alternate the course of the story) that will be either:<br/>A) An extra scene added to it<br/>B) An alternated dialogue<br/>C) The appareriton of a character we didn't see in said chapter</p><p>And even if I say that the story won't change, as the one reading and correcting, I can promise!<br/>It feels like something different!</p><p>Also, I'll be preparing my next projects, too!</p><p>Can't promise the same length as this monstrous work, but do not worry, I can promise the same level of love I put into this for those!<br/>I'm also going to be writing for other fandoms, so be ready for that!</p><p>I'm thankful for all of your reads, and comments, and while I still wish I could get more of them, I need to put an end to this...</p><p>But!</p><p>Diary of a lost with is an adaptation of the show to my AU, so...</p><p>Season 2 comes out? Book two comes out, too!</p><p>This is not the las time we'll hear of Lucelyn clawtorne!</p><p>Thanks again!</p><p>Have an awesome day!</p><p>And happy week!</p><p>G_U out! Peace~<br/>Hasta Pronto!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welp! Here it is! Half-Human Luz AU!!!!<br/>So, quick notes, for one, Luz is still brunette, but her hair is more like Hiccup's from HTTYD franchise in the color scheme.<br/>If you are curious 'bout her bracelet, look up Douxy's Bracelet from Wizards Tales of Aracadia by Guillermo del Toro, that was the basic Idea.<br/>Well, now, I'm gonna be posting every Saturday unless something horrible happens, so... yeah, I'm taking over or weekly glory while the hiatus lasts, maybe even after that. Feel free to leave your comments, and critics, even if it pains a bit what you'll have to say if it helps me to improve and give you better stories to read, please feel free to tell me if I did something wrong.<br/>I would appreciate if you don't go into the mean section, but everything will be received.<br/>That would be all for this beginning. Remember please, the story "Avatar The Legend of The Owl Lady" is going to be parallel to this one, being posted on Wednesdays. </p><p>That is all, I'll read ya next time people, G.U out, love ya all, thanks for reading, Peace~<br/>Hasta pronto!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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